Part Six, Stand Alone
by Paffy
Summary: Part 6/7. Ginny and Harry have some memorable times ahead...we've got tears, anger, arguments, fights, discoveries, drunken nights out, the audition AND the Christmas play!
1. The Audition

AN/ Hey all, here we go, Part Six, and a NEW, yes NEW story. If you're new to my writing, then this is actually part of a series, if your not new, then this is all simple for you guys! Sniggersbecause she knows what's coming up, this story is a rollercoaster, we've got laughs, we've got tears, we've got fights, we've got arguments, we've got drunken staggering witches and wizards, we've even got unidentifiable sandwiches horror!

DISCLAIMER: I am actually JK in disguise, the reason book 5 is taking so long Is that I'm doing this checks to see if anyone believes her Fine then, It's not mine Blah blah blah.

*

"Ok, now deep calming breaths, breathe…breathe…" said Harry soothingly as I tried to do as he said.

I took in a deep breath, before breaking out into a worried laugh, and jumping up and down frustratingly.

"I can't do it Harry, I just _can't _do it…all those people watching me…" I whined, shaking my hands nervously and pacing around in front of the door.

"You can do it, ok? Now again…deep breathes, your feeling calm, very calm…" said Harry, making me laugh as he tried to hypnotise me with his wristwatch.

"Aren't you supposed to use a pocket watch for that?" I asked, trying to keep a straight face as I watched him regard his watch critically.

"Yeah, but needs must" he said shrugging making me giggle harder.

"That's better, now concentrate on laughing, happy smiling faces…happy, very happy, when I click my fingers, you'll act like a chicken"

"Shut it you" I said, playfully shoving him as I peered through the window in the door.

"Ok, serious face now. You WILL be all right, you will get up there, you'll do your thing, and they won't even bother auditioning the other people!" he said so firmly that for a second I almost believed him.

For a second. 

Before I could protest though, the door was swung open and Harry pulled me through and I tried to quell the butterflies in my stomach as I saw the stage, the spotlight, the music stand, and the judges. I grimaced and made to turn back before Harry grabbed hold of my hand and dragged me forward and placed me down in a seat. 

"Oh no you don't" he laughed while I scowled at him.

"Sara Carter" came Madam Chantuer's voice from the panel of judges and I glared at Sara who walked onto the stage, all dolled up and looking every bit the glamorous singer.

I looked down at my robes self-consciously, and took in the tattered hem and patched pieces of fabric. I frowned even more deeply and tucked my hair behind my ears. I flinched as Sara started to sing a perfectly pitched rendition of a famous magical world song called Merlin's sword. I looked across to the judge's table and saw Dumbledore nodding appreciatively as was a few other teachers. Madam Chantuer was looking spellbound.

"She's not as good as you" murmured Harry glaring at Sara, before planting a kiss on my nose.

I giggled quietly to myself, half out of nerves and half out of excitement. Soon Sara finished and everyone burst into applause that rang through the classroom, as Harry and I sat and glared stonily at her, skipping down the steps, the perfect image of a dainty choirgirl.

The list of applicants was only short and only three people had to sing before me. The first was a shy third year that had forgotten the line halfway through and had ran of the stage face flaming. The second was a sixth year who was actually quite good, although she sung some of the words to the muggle song wrong, and the third person was one of Sara's friends, who had been bullied into singing badly so as Sara could win.

And then with the sickening reality of a job you didn't want to do, coming quicker than expected, Madam Chantuer stood up and called out the last name.

"Virginia Weasley"

The butterflies turned into termites trying to eat from the inside out and it wasn't until Harry shook me that I even acknowledged my name had been called out. I took a deep shuddering breath, and I turned to Harry desperately.

"I can't do it Harry, We've got to go and tell them, I can't stand up there and sing, I can't beat her!" I rushed on and on, getting more and more panicked, until Harry had to stop me.

"Ginny," he said calmly, placing a hand on either side of my face, "I've got complete faith in you, you can do it, trust me ok?"

I stared into his green eyes for a long time, collecting my breath. And it took until Madam Chantuer shouted my name a second time did I get up and walk on shaky legs to the stage. I handed Madam Chantuer my sheet of music and stood under the spotlight as I searched for Harry in the crowd. I saw him sitting with his elbows on knees, biting his nails and looking almost as nervous as I felt myself. 

And I smiled, and as the music struck up I felt my nerves disappear with the silence as the familiar tune washed over me.

__

You would have said

Don't be discouraged, you will realize it I don't take courage In a world, for people, you can lose that all And the darkness inside you 

Will make you feel so small

Everything was going to be fine, the words kept washing over me as I lost myself in the words, aware only that throughout the whole thing, I was staring into a pair of green, green eyes. I forgot all about the teachers sitting like a jury to the side of me and Harry smiled encouragingly.

And soon the song had finished and I was running down the stairs as fast as I could, running straight at Harry who was beaming widely.

"You did it Gin! You showed them! You were better than them all put together!" said Harry excitedly as I saw the judges standing up clapping.

I felt my face glow bright red and I don't know what the best bit was, Sara running out the room glaring angrily at me, or Dumbledore getting to his feet to applaud me or Harry beaming away, kissing me on the nose again. Soon however, the eagerly chattering crowd of students who had auditioned for various parts was called over by Madam Chantuer.

"Well done everyone, that was a brilliant! I shall be posting up the parts for the plays, singing and orchestra in each houses common room, so check there over the next few days" she called over the excited babble.

I was beaming. Not only did the audition go well, but also it would be a few days until I had to even worry what I'd do if I actually got the part. The class was dismissed and I walked back over to Harry who was standing next to Dumbledore. I hesitated slightly, not sure whether I was interrupting anything but Dumbledore smiled widely when he saw me.

"Well Miss Weasley, you've certainly made quite an impression" he said jovially as his eyes sparkled.

Harry was looking slightly uncomfortable and Dumbledore was nudging him in the ribs like a teenager, laughing quietly to himself as he made Harry squirm. I couldn't help but laugh myself, it was such a funny sight.

"I wish you all the luck with the performance, I have rarely heard such a talented voice that can put so much feeling and soul into music" he said admirably and I couldn't help but squirm myself this time, unused to all this praise. 

"Well have fun you two," he said smiling widely before adding with a wink, "and don't do anything I wouldn't do" 

We watched him walk away in silence before bursting out with laughter which quickly turned into excited smiles as I was dying to get rid of all this nervous pent-up energy.

"Let's do something!" I suggested, bouncing on the balls of my feet.

Harry watched me for a few seconds, pretending to regard me critically as I grinned encouragingly.

"Ok, we could go and get a butterbeer I suppose?" he asked with a mischievous glint in his eye.

"Where from?" I asked in confusion, I didn't know the kitchens stocked it.

"Hogsmeade" said Harry simply, as he pulled me out of the classroom and towards the Gryffindor dorm.

*

AN/ I know it's short but the next chapter is long and needs to be kept together although I may have to add a dictionary to the end for English slang names and words…

Paffy


	2. Peanut Butter and Marmite Sandwiches

AN/ So here it is, Shameless Full - Frontal Fluff, and lots of it. I'm sure many of you will be voicing exactly HOW impossible it would be for this scenario to happen, but entertain me a little, anyway - I could pass the possibility to debauch my two favorite characters! 

About the sandwiches…that is actually based on a true story, her reactions are completely normal! (It was a dark and stormy night, and we were drunk in a shack on Exmoor…its was all we had to eat sob)

On with the show…

*

It was nearly 1am, and I was currently winding along a stone passage singing a rather loud and tuneless rendition of a muggle song, flailing my arms about wildly. Harry accompanied me on the air guitar, combined by his strange sound effects which he assured me was a guitar and not Mrs Norris being strangled. 

If I'd stopped and thought for a second I would most likely have thought this very strange.

All of a sudden and from nowhere, as I would proclaim in years to come, a wall came out of the shadows and assaulted me. Usually this would have caused me great pain, but right at that moment in time it was hilarious, and both Harry and I had to hold the wall, or in my case the floor, for support as we cried with laughter.

"Who put that there?" I asked when I could finally breath again, kicking the wall violently. 

"A wall builder" said Harry simply as he pulled me to my feet and peered at the wall accusingly, checking for legs no doubt.

"Oh, right, that's ok then" I said happily.

"Ok, this is the way out. NOW, when were in Hogwarts you have to be very ssshhh ok?" said Harry, emphasising the ssshhh by pushing a finger to my mouth.

"Very ssshhh" I repeated seriously, giggling slightly at the end of ssshhh. What a funny word it was anyway.

"Ok, _dissendium_" Harry whispered as he tapped the wall, and I giggled as a little crack of light appeared.

"Ssshhh" said Harry smirking, motioning with his finger again.

I watched as Harry squeezed through the gap, and immediately covered himself with his invisibility cloak, which I still found very impressive. I watched the gap suspiciously for a few seconds and when I decided that it had stopped moving I squeezed through it myself. It would have been fairly agile if I hadn't tripped on the hem of my robes and gone flying, hitting only a solid wall of air.

I giggled loudly, which was immediately followed by a ssshhh and an even louder laugh from Harry. And thus ensued a bizarre game of ssshhh and giggle that finally ended with me rounding on the statue of the one-eyed witch.

"And you can stop laughing as well" I said, pointing an accusing finger at the witch and giving her shins a violent kick for good measure.

"Come on, you can do this tomorrow, right now I'm hungry" said Harry, pulling me inside the cloak as we made our ungainly way down to the kitchens, trying over hems of cloaks, whilst being assaulted yet again by walls, suits of armour and doors.

We finally made it undetected to the kitchen entrance and spent a few minutes trying to get in as Harry seemed to mistake me for the painted pear and tickled me senseless. We became aware of how much noise we were making a stumbled into the dark kitchen, finding it empty of house-elves or anything else for that matter.

"Right," said Harry picking me up and placing me on a nearby counter, "_I'm _going to make _you _some of Harry's special sandwiches" 

I smiled happily to myself and watched Harry walk around the kitchens aimlessly, opening random cupboards and pulling things out until he came back and dropped them all on the counter next to me.

"Ok, these are from that cupboard over there marked 'Property of Professor Snape, do not use' but I'm sure he won't mind us borrowing a few bits." He said seriously before cracking a grin.

I swung my legs happily and watched Harry unscrew a few jars and retrieve some spoons.

"Ok, I'm going to make you Peanut butter and Marmite sandwiches" he said with an air of someone imparting a great secret, "My speciality"

"What's Peanut butter and Marmite?" I asked with a hint of worry, this didn't sound like normal food to me.

"Ok, _This _is Peanut butter" He said, handing me a spoon and a jar.

I tentatively took a sniff of the brown creamy stuff off the spoon and popped it into my mouth. It tasted like nuts or butter, which I rationalised, is probably why its called peanut butter. Although I couldn't understand where the peas fitted in…

"Yuk, that's disgusting" I said making a sour face, before digging my spoon in for another dollop.

"Yeah isn't it great? And _this _is Marmite" he added, handing me another jar and spoon.

I again sniffed the black sticky looking stuff that looked more like a road surface than a foodstuff and again popped it into my mouth. I didn't know what it was, but it definitely tasted how it looked - like tar.

"Ew, that's even worse" I said wrinkling my nose before diving in for a second spoonful.

"You either love it or you hate it" he said shrugging slightly.

I giggled slightly and swung my legs against the cupboard.

"And _zis_," he said in a very bad French accent as he handed me what he called a sandwich, and what I called a junkyard, on a silver platter, "Is a Peanut and Marmite sandwich"

I delicately took the heap, which practically disintegrated in my hands and pulled a bit off, chewing silently as I swung my legs, savouring the truly disgusting combination of the two foods I decided I hated.

"I really do hate this" I said through a mouthful, before continuing on the rest of the plate.

"Yeah, disgusting isn't it?" asked Harry watching me with amusement as he scraped the rest of the ingredient into a hollowed out loaf of bread and throwing all the jars back into Snape's cupboard.

I finished my plate with a grimace and licked the plate clean before putting that in Snape's cupboard as well, accompanied by an orange, a spoon and a bottle of soap. Don't ask me why.

"And now, we better go to bed, because yesterday was Sunday" said Harry intelligently as I sat on the side.

"Yes, yesterday was Sunday" I confirmed.

"So today is Monday" said Harry smiling.

"Yes, Monday usually follows Sunday"

"So in less than five hours, we'll be getting out of bed for double potions and Transfiguration" said Harry as the light dawned on me and I understood.

"We better go to bed then" I told him, making no move to leave.

"Good thinking batman" Harry told me, pulling the cloak up off the floor.

"Batman…?" I asked, waving my arms about uselessly.

"Don't worry…Now come on…sleep, sleeeeeep" said Harry attempting to hypnotise me again.

"Can't," I stated, waving my legs about in front of him, "my feet are broken"

"Oh No!" he said picking each one up, twisting and turning it to examine them as I giggled loudly, "Yup, definitely broken"

I sighed dramatically as Harry wrapped his cloak around me.

"Well there's nothing for it, I'm going to have to carry you" he said scooping me onto his back as we staggered unsteadily towards the door.

Anyone who had been roaming the corridors we took would have probably been surprised to see a pair of legs up to the knees weaving around unsteadily, and probably would have been even more shocked to see two people suddenly appearing every now and again sprawling on the floor. Maybe they wouldn't have been worried to see half a loaf of bread, filled with some kind of squidgy black and brown stuff rolling across the floor. Who can say?

By some miracle we managed to make it back to the common room without being caught, which was thankfully devoid of students. It was at this time that I thought it was best that I serenade Harry with an impossibly off-key rendition of another of my favourite songs.

"_Oh! I would walk 500 hundred miles, YES! I would walk five hundred miles, just to be with Youuuu!" _I began before Harry clamped a hand over my mouth.

"Ssshhh! Remember?" he asked me, grinning stupidly.

"mmmphhrrhh" I tired to tell him, giggling as he feigned deafness.

"I'm sorry what was that?" he asked, holding his other hand up to his ear.

"Mphf Mmmphhrrhh!" I tried again, laughing even harder.

"If I interpreted that correctly, that was 'Please tickle me Harry?' if this is so, respond by saying mmmphhrrhh!" He asked seriously, as my mouth was still clamped.

"mmmphhrrhh!" I mumbled, which was supposed to be no, but didn't quite sound the same now…

"Oh well you asked for it!" said Harry, dropping his hand and chasing me around the common room.

I shrieked with laughter, weaving unsteadily around the common room, trying to hide behind the lamp while Harry walked around the common room, arms outstretched as he searched for me.

"Where, oh where could my Ginny be?" he moaned tragically, before shouting to the tower "I've lost my Ginny!"

I giggled as I ineffectively hid myself behind the stick thin lamp before feeling very sorry for Harry, who was completely unable to find me.

"Don't be sad Harry! I'm here!" I proclaimed, jumping out from my amazing hiding place.

"Ginny! There you are! Where did you get to?" he asked as he pulled me into a melodramatic hug.

"I was gone, behind the lamp, but now I'm not behind the lamp, now I here!" I told him simply.

"Good! Because I have a surprise for you" said Harry, "Close your eyes"

"Oh present!" I said closing my eyes and holding out my hands expectantly.

However instead of getting a nice present, I was in for nasty surprise when Harry yelled "Tricked you!" and proceeded to tackle me to the floor and tickle me like mad, before I shrieked for mercy.

"Noooo! Harry, please stop, it hurts!" I yelled loudly.

Harry stopped immediately and looked down at me with genuine concern and my bottom lip trembled and fake tears sprang to my eyes. I whimpered slightly and Harry continued to lean over me and quick as a snake striking I sat up and pushed him down until I was straddling him, tickling him like mad.

"You…You, Cheat!" gasped Harry and I jabbed him right beneath the ribs, his best tickling spot.

"Do you admit I win?" I asked him, keeping him in an effective pin down.

"What do I get if I surrender?" asked Harry cautiously, flailing his legs helplessly.

But what his prize was I never managed to tell him, because a pair of heavy footfalls on the dorm stairs signalled someone coming.

"Someone's coming" said Harry with a smirk.

"Thank you for pointing out the obvious" I told him through my giggles, "We have to hide"

"I know, the invisibility cloak will save us!" aid Harry excitedly, pulling out his wand to summon the cloak, but it was too late.

"Well, well, well. What do we have here?" came the voice from behind me.

"Hullo Dean" said Harry happily, to the mystery figure behind me and I giggled as I dug my knees into Harry's stomach.

"It's not what it looks like right?" asked Dean in what I could only decipher as an amused tone.

"No, it's exactly what it looks like!" said Harry happily, still helplessly pinned to the floor.

"Well, I tell you I was expecting to see you two here, at this time of the morning making all that racket" said Dean as he stood looking down at us with a fake severe expression on his face, arms crossed.

"Yeah! Ssshhh Harry!" I told him severely, trying to knee him again, before he jumped up suddenly, making me fall to the floor in a heap.

I did the only think I could think of, my bottom lip started to tremble and tears sprang to my eyes for the second time that night. Harry instantly was picking me up and kissing me on the nose, thinking he'd hurt me.

"Gullible!" I shrieked before running behind the couch.

Harry gave a roar of frustration and continued to chase me around in circles around the couch, while Dean watched in open-mouthed amusement. Harry managed to outwit me by suddenly running the opposite way around and I ran straight into his arms, and we both fell to the floor in a heap.

Dean knelt down and watched us laughing and getting tangled up in our robes. He suddenly seemed to make his mind about something and turned to me with an accusing stare.

"Your drunk aren't you!" he said slowly and incredulously.

"Yes" I said happily at the same time that Harry said "No"

"No" I said instantly, before Harry told him "Yes"

Dean merely shook his head in disbelief and we burst out laughing, _very _loudly again.

"I didn't realise you two were an item" asked Dean conversationally, apparently taking full advantage of the situation.

"It's a secret" I whispered in his ear, tapping me nose knowingly.

"Hey! Should I be jealous?" asked Harry, arms folded as he watched me whispering in Dean's ear. 

"Of course not" I told Harry hugging tightly, clinging on for what seemed like hours.

"Well you make a lovely couple" broke in Dean, trying to pull us apart, "But I don't fancy your chances against Ron if he finds you down here, with his little sister who I assumed you have gotton drunk?"

"Hey! I didn't get her drunk!" Harry told him looking scandalised.

"Oh really?" asked Dean raising an eyebrow, "So who bought the drinks?"

"Er…me" admitted Harry quietly.

"And who took her to Hogsmeade, I'm assuming?" he asked again, taking on the role of a strict professor.

"Well…me I suppose" said Harry, looking as if he was being scolded by a teacher.

"So let me get this straight. You, a minor might I add, took a fifteen year old girl, also a minor, to a pub, bought her numerous alcoholic beverages, brought her back to the castle where I find you being straddled by her on the common room floor…It's disgraceful" he admonished us.

Harry looked uneasily at me, and I merely shrugged. "It is?" he asked in a pitifully quiet voice.

"Only pulling your leg mate. I reckon its most romantic!" laughed Dean pulled me unsteadily to my feet.

"But take my advice, get yourselves to bed before Ron or his brothers hear, your too nice a guy to be brutally murdered" said Dean simply.

Harry mulled this over, nodded shortly and proceeded to direct me to the staircase, keeping a straight face until I stumbled over the invisible step on the floor. We burst out laughing again and we crumpled to the floor.

"Do you need some help getting her up there?" asked Dean, trying to hide his amusement.

"No! We're ok! It's just she broke her feet a while ago you see…" explained Harry as I pointed pathetically at my perfectly able ankles with a look of pain on my face.

"Right…" said Dean laughing, "Sure you don't need help?"

"No, I've got I, I just have to carry her" Harry told him as I climbed back onto Harry's back.

I was carried up to my dorm and dropped unceremoniously on the bed. I broke into another fit of giggles and we both ssshhh'd each other at the same time, causing more laughter.

Finally Harry said goodnight and proceeded to bang into every bed on the way out, before he forgot something and banged into every bed coming back.

"Forgot to kiss you goodnight" he said grinning.

I lent forward and kissed him on the lips and after a few seconds he pulled back with a grimace on his face.

"Ew, you taste like Marmite!" he said laughing as I smacked him around the head, cracking up myself.

I watched him stumble into every other bed on the way back out again and burst into another fit of giggles when I heard a heavy sounding door assault him again. 

His curses could have woken up the tower.

*

AN/ Paffy the proud Britfic author would like to show the following footnotes, JUST IN CASE some people were getting confused….

Marmite - Also known as veggie mite in Australia apparently. I don't know if our friends across the Atlantic actually know what it is? It sort of black a tar-like - made out of yeast. ANYWAY in Britain the whole ad campaign centers on the line "Marmite - You either love it, or you hate it" and its so true! Nobody can sort of like it! My ode to the advert is Harry's line above.

There's a fantastic advert on TV where someone is drowning and they get rescued Baywatch style, an he gets mouth-to-mouth from this hunky lifeguard whose just had a marmite sandwich. And he springs to life and starts kissing the lifeguard madly…"Marmite, you either love it or you hate it"

Hammered / Trolleyed / Gone - All slang words for being drunk (sorry if I'm treating you all like Children…)

SO BEFORE WE REVIEW…TELL ME "_MARMITE, DO YOU LOVE IT OR DO YOU HATE IT?" _results will be posted on the next Post!

Thank you for your time!


	3. New Improved Breakfast

AN/ Thanks for your reviews people! Especially to Bumblepuppy who is the sole voter in my "Marmite, you either love it or you hate it" poll. Currently the world hates marmite 100%

Disclaimer: I am not encouraging young and impressionable people to drink alcohol in any way in this story! And just to prove it, here's a little taste of what the morning after the night before is like!

~*~

I woke up the next morning feeling not very good to say the least. There must be something about sitting in a smoky pub for over 12 hours that does that to you. And with that disgruntled thought I opened my eyes a crack, and was greeted by a sudden invasion of colour. I screwed my eyes up tight and this time opened them slower so my eyes could grow accustomed to the violent red and golds of the room.

I sat up eventually, groggily holding my head that didn't feel too human and downing a glass of water from my bedside, trying to get rid of the furry thing in my mouth which turned out to be my tongue.

"I'm 15 years old for Merlin's sake and I've got a hangover" I muttered angrily, moving very carefully as I got dressed, trying not to jar the head too much.

And suddenly I felt the horribly constricting feeling you get in your throat when your about to be…I ran to the toilet as fast as I could….sick. I felt absolutely horrible and reached up with a shaking hand to flush the toilet. I got up and looked in the mirror and groaned, I looked about as good as I felt.

Eventually I made myself presentable, gathered my heavy book bag and stumbled out of my room half-heartedly, glancing back to see my diary sitting their unwritten in for another night. I really ought to fill that in I reprimanded myself as I carefully descended the stairs, grimacing as the hubbub of the early morning common room greeted me. 

I soon found out that neither Hermione, Harry or any of my brothers were there, so I walked down the cold corridors, towards the Great Hall. Vague memories floated through my head from last night, the weird sandwiches Harry had made, singing my version of 'Respect' in the three-broomsticks, playing tickle tag in the common room, Dean…I had completely forgotten about him! He'd caught us, how embarrassing! My face flamed at the memory as I walked into the Great Hall. I soon spotted everyone sitting in their usual position, Ron and Hermione next to each other and an empty space next to Harry. Despite my 'illness' I smiled to myself, before sliding into my seat.

"Good Morning!" said Hermione brightly as I looked at her darkly, not liking the noise level one bit.

"G'morning" I grunted, glaring daggers at Hermione's oblivious head.

"God Gin, you look terrible" said Ron, whose turn it was for the Killer Death Ray.

"Oh gee thanks a lot Ron" I said sarcastically, not making a move to get any breakfast, I didn't really want to even think about food right now.

"No I mean it, You look nearly as bad as Harry" commented Ron, who got glares from Harry this time.

"Late night" he muttered before I jumped in to finish.

"Studying, right Harry?" I said pointedly as he just nodded.

"Took you long enough, I didn't see you all day yesterday, and didn't even hear you come into the dorm" said Ron, brows knitting in confusion.

This wasn't good, when Ron started noticing something was awry it meant that we were getting careless. Hermione who had long known our 'secret' was grinning into her cereal, obviously she knew that we weren't doing studying, but I bet the thought of us getting drunk in a pub didn't cross her mind for a second. I desperately searched for an answer, but was saved the trouble when a exceedingly rough looking Harry managed to lie smoothly.

"I've got one word for you: Potions"

"Ah" nodded Ron sagely, looking as if he understood completely, "Potions"

There was silence as Ron and Hermione continued eating and I stared blankly at the water jug for some time, noticing Harry had the same gormless look on his face. I smiled slightly when more memories of last night came resurfaced, especially the one about the sandwiches from Snape's stores. Why did he have muggle food like that anyway?

"Hey Harry, not getting any breakfast mate? The bacons nice and crispy this morning" said Ron, pushing a sandwich of dripping grease under his nose.

I would have laughed if I didn't feel like retching myself, at the face Harry made when he saw the sandwich, I truly thought for a second he was going to throw up right there and then. But he didn't and after a few false starts he managed to choke out his words.

"No, I'm er…not feeling that hungry this morning to be honest"

"You really don't look that good Harry, maybe you should go to the hospital wing. You too Ginny, you don't really look that healthy either" said Hermione worriedly, peering at me intently.

"I'm fine" Harry muttered.

"Must be something going around" I put in hopefully.

"Oh. Well, I'd feel much better if you eat something?" asked Hermione as she handed me a plate of toast.

"Sure…" I said, plopping apiece of dry toast in my mouth, as much to avoid Hermione's flapping than because I was hungry, which I most definitely was not.

I very slowly chewed the toast, which felt like dry and scratchy in my mouth. I grimaced as I tried to swallow it, earning a shooting pain in my head and an unpleasant lurch of a retching stomach. For one wild moment I thought I'd be seeing my toast again but against all scientific logic I managed to keep it down. I was going to kill Harry.

"I'll come to the Hospital Wing if you want Harry" said Ron helpfully, "It's first lessons potions and Snape doesn't look that happy"

I stifled a laugh as did Harry when we looked over to see Snape's face the very picture of sour anger. Obviously he didn't like his substitute for breakfast that the House-elves had sent up unknowingly. However I thought to myself happily through a pounding headache, maybe he'd take the hint of the soap and actually try and use some, the greaseball.

"Come on, classes call" said Hermione happily, rousing everyone from their peacefully silence.

"Must you sound so excited by that prospect?" asked Ron despairingly as he rolled his eyes to the ceiling.

I grumbled and trailed after Ron and Hermione, watching my feet intently.

"I think you're a bad influence on me" said Harry eventually as we stumbled through the Great Hall.

"Really?" I asked raising my eyebrows, "and whose idea was it to go to Hogsmeade in the first place?"

"Mine," he admitted before perking up and pointing to me, "but whose idea was it to stay in the Three Broomsticks all day and most of the night?" 

"Well" I said, struggling to find a comeback, "It was cold outside"

"And that's the best you could come up with?" asked Harry playfully.

"Yes" I stated firmly, before using the magic words, "But, I'm a girl and I'm younger than you, you were _responsible _for me" 

"Number one Ginny, you may be a girl but you're only two months younger than me, and number two your quite capable of looking after yourself. As you well proved when you had a go at that barman for trying to take away your bottle of butterbeer away"

"There was still some drink in that" I said defensively.

"There wasn't even enough to fill a teaspoon" he said laughing at me.

"Never mind about that. I still say it's your fault" I said imperiously as we reached where we had to separate ways for class.

"Oh, and what you say goes does it?" asked Harry, rubbing his head whilst grimacing.

"Of course" I told him, feeling like my head was about to explode myself.

"You know I woke up with one hell of a headache this morning Miss Weasley" said Harry smirking.

"Well Mr Potter," I said turning away and walking down the corridor, "You must have had your head in the wrong place"

~*~

AN/ Ten points to Gryffindor for anyone who can tell me where that last line from Ginny is a direct quote from! AND reviewers please…"Marmite, you either love it or you hate it" PLEASE VOTE!

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Chocolate Muse - I can't say I didn't warn you of the horrors of late night snooping in the kitchens! The horrifying sandwiches! It's like some kind of Boris Karloff cheap B Movie…it came from insides Snape's store cupboard…Big Paffy Thanks for the review!

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Esperanza - I never realised how hard it is to actually write Dumbledore! Everyone else is OK, I can cope with them but Dumbledore's so full of mystery and his past is so shrouded that we really don't know anything about him! It's hard to get wise and jolly in the same sentences! …Big Paffy Thanks for the review!

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Lilia - Hehehe, I'm glad you like my kick-ass Ginny with the roommates from hell, and don't worry - there's more where that comes from - we've got a long-overdue public humiliation in the next chapter! …Big Paffy Thanks for the review!

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SleepieCareBear - I can't believe you actually read them all in a row! You must have had sore eyes by the end! I'm glad you like them and I hope I've managed to capture a little bit of the magic! Keep on reading and hopefully you wont be disappointed! …Big Paffy Thanks for the review!

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Dementorchic - Thanks for all your reviews for all my stories! I always know a good review will come in when I see your name! And I can't believe that tiny first chapter of this one was your favourite one of the stories! I always thought of it as filling in space for later chapters! Lol…Big Paffy Thanks for the review!

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Leslie - I think I'm slightly worrying my family by suddenly laughing out loud whenever writing things like this - especially the drunk scene. The scary thing is that most of that dialogue is based on real-life stories…welcome to my world! Peanut Butter and marmite are just not good - whatever universe you like in! …Big Paffy Thanks for the review!

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Bumblepuppy - You're my only person in the marmite poll, so currently the world hates marmite based on your single vote! I'm glad you liked the story and I hope that it hasn't ruined them by reading them in the wrong order! I'm glad you enjoyed them all…Big Paffy Thanks for the review!


	4. The Audition Results

AN/ Hey All, Thanks for all your reviews again! The "Marmite, you either love it or you hate it" poll is going well. It seems the USA doesn't know what marmite is, and in that case I've only got one vote for hate (that's 100% hate) and 3 for haven't got a clue what it is.

So to spread enlightenment across the globe, I am aiming to introduce marmite to the American public. It is a black thick sticky pot of goo, which tastes really bitter and is made out of yeast and hops and stuff. If you've ever made beer it's the dregs from the bottom. No one in their right mind would actually eat it! Only in Britain…

And after Paffy's wonderful lesson on British culture…on with the show…

*

I was sat in the library working on an essay a few days later, trying desperately to concentrate on the task in hand, a particularly nasty essay set by Snape on a switching potion. I skimmed through my textbook desperately, looking for any mention of the polyjuice potion, I found nothing whatsoever in there, which is probably why he'd given it to us I thought angrily as I threw my quill down.

My eyes roamed around the library until they settled on the Restricted Section. I bet there would be plenty of information in there I mused to myself, hatching a plan involving Harry's invisibility cloak and a daring midnight adventure.

I was just working on the finer points of how to get past Mrs Norris when I saw Hermione hurry into the library, locate me and rush over, cheeks red and flushed.

"What's up?" I asked curiously, watching her regain a breath.

"Harry wanted me to tell you that they're going to post the list up in the common room? I don't know if that means anything to you?" she asked me, falling into a nearby chair.

"It's going up? Really?" I asked nervously, biting my fingernails unconsciously.

"Yeah he said so. He said he's sorry he didn't come and get you himself but he's loosing miserably to Ron at chess" said Hermione rolling her eyes, "What's the list for?"

"Oh, I had to audition for the Christmas concert, and they're putting the parts up" I said, blushing slightly.

"Really? I didn't know we were having a Christmas concert, or that you auditioned" said Hermione, looking slightly put out that she didn't know all the goings on of the school.

I shrugged non-commitantly.

"So what's did you audition for?" Hermione asked curiously, as I made no move to go and check the list.

"Main solo. Madam Chantuer made me" I said grimacing slightly.

"Really? You sang in front of all those people, I wish I'd know I would have come and offered moral support"

"Its ok, I had Harry" I said happily until I realised what I said, hastily adding, "I had Harry _there. _He just happened to be passing you know, and I would have liked it if you'd been there…"

"It's ok Ginny" said Hermione laughing at me, "You don't have to explain anything to me"

I laughed nervously and slowly packed up my things as Hermione paced about impatiently, doing nothing but increasing my own nerves. Finally I couldn't string it out any longer and I was rushed through the corridors by Hermione, and practically pushed into the common room.

"Gin! it's about to be posted!" said Ron as I walked over, he looked almost as excited as Hermione, while I just felt sick.

"So I heard" I muttered dryly, as they dragged me over to the notice board.

There was quite a large crowd gathered around the notice board, staring expectantly at the empty space in which the list would materialise any second now. Most of them were friends of people who had auditioned and as I was quite short and at the back of the crowd I couldn't really see what was going on. Harry managed to push his way in, looking about as nervous as I felt but offering a small smile. Ron who was by far the tallest kept a close eye on the list while the others spoke in excited whispers.

"Are you excited Ginny?" asked Hermione, clapping he hands together happily.

"Oh, very excited, believe me" I said monotonously, I would like nothing more to be put in the choir at the back.

"Cheer up Gin, imagine the look on Sara's face when she sees you up there" said Harry under his breath, "You'll be fine, trust me"

I felt a little better with the others confidence and kept an ear out as the twins caused trouble/entertainment at the front. 

"And where's our darling sister? She should be up here to see this first!" came George's shout as Fred waded over to me, apparently nothing escaped the twins.

Before I could say anything in protest I was lifted onto Fred's shoulder and brought to the front of the crowd, smiling through my blushes. I surveyed the crowd from my eagle-eye view and noticed with a sinking heart that Sara and her friends were glaring at me rather menacingly, but I was too nervous to care and turned back to the board. We waited expectantly for 5 'o' clock to come, counting down the seconds until with a small pop, there was a list of crisp parchment in the empty space.

I peered down at the spidery writing, skipping the orchestras parts until I saw what I was looking for. With my heart in my throat I read what was written.

__

Singing Parts,

Main Solo Lead: Virginia Weasley

Second Solo: Sara Carter

Choir: Jennie Rowley, Michael Roscoff, Helen Nixon…

I gazed dumbstruck at the list for a few seconds, re-reading it to make sure I'd got it right. I'd got it? I'd really got it! I smiled broadly and clung onto to Fred's ears as he went racing round the common room, proclaiming me ruler of the universe, whilst still trying to desperately decide if this was a good thing.

However, as usual, its hard not to be caught up in Fred and George's mood and soon a party was being arranged, with people being sent off the retrieve various essentials. My music box was brought down stairs and placed on the table, blaring out some crazy tune as Fred spun round in circles, as I held on tightly, shrieking loudly.

He finally stopped when I threatened to curse him ten ways till Sunday and placed me on the floor. However my feet were so unsteady I went reeling forwards and toppling over at the same time. I found myself suddenly arm in arm with Harry, who had jumped up and caught me saving me from going flying into the fire. However my momentum must have been too fast as we went careering into the floor, earning catcalls and wolf whistles from the people around us as we jumped to our feet, blushing furiously.

I tried to look as innocent as possible and laughed with everyone else, aware suddenly that Fred and George didn't look half as exuberant. Before I had time to consider this, I was met by a group of girls, surrounding me and glaring at me nastily.

"So Weasley, I see you got the part" said Sara, face clouded with anger and disgust.

"I see you didn't" I answered mildly, looking across the room to where Harry was, standing next to Ron and Hermione. They had their back to me, but Harry was facing me, watching closely. He started to move towards my defence but I made eye contact and gave him a look that told him to back off, and leave me to sort it out, and I could see it was taking all his willpower not to come over. 

"I bet you think you're so much better than me don't you?" she asked bitterly, prodding me with a bony finger.

I looked back at them steadily, refusing to let myself get upset by them again. I was over all that. This time I was going to stand up for myself, I was going to fight my own battles instead of hiding behind Harry.

"Why do you do this?" I asked them suddenly, taking them by surprise.

"Do what?" asked Sara as her friends looked on.

"Why do you keep going on at me? What did I ever do to you?" I asked simply, amazed at my own cool as inside I was dying with nerves.

"I don't know what you mean" said Sara, giving a hollow little laugh that betrayed her own nerves.

"What I mean is, why do you always have to be so horrible to me? Does it make you feel big to alienate someone or make them cry. Do you feel strong Sara, knowing you made my life a misery? Or is it just that on the inside your nothing more than a nasty little Slytherin with nothing better to do than torment other people?" I asked loudly, aware that the common room was starting to grow quiet as curious Gryffindor's listened in.

"And you lot," I said, motioning to her silent friends who looked awkward now with the attention they were receiving, "Your nothing more than a bunch of pathetic sheep, following everything she does because your not strong enough, or clever enough to make a stand for yourself. So I'm _sorry _if I don't follow Sara round and worship the ground she walks on, and if that makes me a loner or whatever, than I don't care"

There was a ringing silence throughout the common room as even the music box had stopped to listen and I took a deep breath. I had wanted for so long to say all that stuff to them and I felt so much better that I gave a huge smile.

"I don't care" I repeated before turning away and walking over to Ron and Hermione who were looking at me open-mouthed.

The noise level began to grow again and soon everyone turned back to their conversations as Sara and her sheep slunk off into the girls dormitory. Harry was grinning at me, looking like he was about to burst with pride and I couldn't help but grin myself. I've waited four years to do that.

"Ginny?" asked Ron uncertainly, casting a wary glance at Hermione, "What the hell was all that about?"

"Just a few home truths those girls should know" I said simply, picking up a cauldron cake a pulling off the corner.

"I thought those girls were your friends?" asked Hermione, with a confused look on her face.

"Yeah, in an alternate universe" I laughed, seeing Harry smiling broadly still.

"I didn't know you weren't friends with them! Did you two?" asked Ron worriedly, looking from Hermione's openly puzzled face and Harry's closely guarded passive face.

He shrugged slightly and Ron was left to ponder it on his own. Soon Ron and Hermione began to bicker over something and I tuned out of the conversation looking around at the festivities. I saw Lee Jordan in the middle of placing something suspicious looking into a bowl of sweets in the corner, and the Creevy brothers looking particularly shifty next to one of the armchairs. People were dancing on the makeshift dance floor, in an area cleared of chairs and the sonorous charm cast on my music box was pumping fast tunes I didn't know I ever had the music for.

"I'm so proud of you" came a quiet voice from the side, seeing Harry also surveying the party.

"Thanks. I don't know whether I'm happy or not though, singing in front of all those people? It was bad enough in front of the judges!" I said worriedly.

"Not about that, about standing up to Sara and her friends" he said, laughing quietly to himself.

"Oh" I said, looking down and blushing, I still can't believe I did that, in front of everyone, where did that burst of courage come from?

"You really taught them a lesson!" said Harry gleefully.

I was about to reply when Fred and George bounded over, literally. 

"Hey Harry, come over hear a sec" said George, grinning broadly at some secret joke, and looked particularly evil when Harry grinned nervously, obviously wondering what was happening.

"Er, why guys?" 

"It's a secret, for guys eyes only" said Fred, winking conspiratorially at Harry, and glaring menacingly at me.

I rolled my eyes and wandered off, when Fred and George were in a mood like this, you just couldn't handle them. I wandered back over to Hermione and Ron, who had thankfully finished their argument and were now happily chatting about something. Soon however we were joined by a slightly blushing someone else.

"Butterbeer Ginny?" asked Neville holding out a bottle to me.

"NO!" I said a little too hastily, before covering myself, "I mean, I'm not really thirsty Neville"

I watched as he gave a little shrug before turning to Hermione and chatting to her happily, and I eyed the butterbeer warily. I promised myself I'd never drink again…or at least not for a few more days as I fondly remembered our rendition of Grease lightning the musical in the tunnel on the way back from Hogsmeade in what seemed like weeks ago.

*

I stared into the mirror for a few minutes taking in my rough appearance. My skin looked paler than usual, so my freckles stood out, looking like someone had gone crazy on my face with a brown felt tip. I shuddered as I remembered last night's nightmare, feeling and overwhelming urge to throw up as I tried to shake the images from my head.

I raked a brush through my hair dazedly, eyes unfocusing until all I could see was a blob of colour instead of my face. A heavy thud and the terrible sound of Tom speaking to me, his disembodied voice entering my head. I shook my head slightly to rid it of the images, and picked up my bag to begin the usual morning routine of breakfast, lessons, breaks, homework and sleep.

On the way of the empty dorm, I once again saw the small leather bound book, lying beneath my pillow. I hadn't written in my diary in over a week and an uneasy sense of guilt settled in my stomach, as if some how I'd betrayed myself. I walked over to it, and picked it up lovingly, aimlessly flicking through the pages. My life had been a turbulent rollercoaster of emotions these past few months I remarked, a densely packed series of highs and lows.

I placed my diary inside a textbook, knowing that I would have a free lesson to do my homework in this afternoon. A replacement hadn't yet been found for my Defence Against Dark Arts teacher and as such, fourth year students would have the run of the library. No doubt I would be able to find a quiet corner in the gloomy recesses of the shelves to sort out a few thoughts, least of all how dorm life had changed since I'd spoken to the brats.

So, with a plan in my mind and a weight of my shoulders I headed down to breakfast, feeling slightly annoyed that I'd missed Harry, Ron and Hermione, who had already eaten and left. It started of a pretty unremarkable day with nothing much happening unless you count Kevin Sewell transfiguring his best friend into a clock, and an unidentified person throwing a book through Professor Binns.

*

AN/ Go Ginny Go! You kick bimbo ass! Next bit coming out soon, and if there's only one chapter you will want to read out of ALL of my stories put together it's the next one…


	5. Harsh Reality

AN/ Sobs because she knows what's coming How could I do this to my lovely characters? It was all going so well. 

But fate has a way of catching up on all of us, and somebody has to face to up to the mistakes they've made in the past. This chapter is not for those seeking fluff and marmite sandwiches - hence the sub rating angst and higher rating of this story.

*

I walked into the common room that night and knew straight away that something was wrong. It was late, and there were only a few stragglers left in the common room when I walked over to where Hermione and Ron were waiting for me. 

Hermione looked terrible, she was biting her nails down to the quick and staring at me with wide, fear-filled eyes, rocking slightly on the balls of her feat. My first thought was something had happened to Harry and I could feel a scream beginning deep inside my chest until I looked across to Ron. He was staring at me with a look of furious anger on his face, although he was desperately trying to control it. He was running his fingers through his hair ever few seconds, looking as if it was taking all his resolve not to scream out in anger or fear.

I stopped in front of them silently, still taking in their worried and angry appearances when Ron spoke.

"Where've you been Ginny?" he asked in a quiet voice, the sort I knew all too well from him, it held back a rage brewing inside of him, barely.

"The library. Why?" I asked suspiciously, I hadn't done anything wrong as far as I knew.

"Who with?" he asked, in the same deadly whisper.

"No-one, just finishing a potions essay" I said brandishing my parchment for proof, "Why?"

Ron stared at me for a long time, arms now folded across his chest and I began to get angry. Why did I have to explain my every movement to him anyway?

"What's this all about?" I asked Hermione this time.

"I only needed to borrow a book," she blurted out before rushing on, "the library didn't have the one I needed, I was going to ask you but you weren't here!" 

"What are you talking about?"

Hermione didn't seem to want to say anything more and her eyes darted nervously towards Ron, who was still struggling to contain his emotions, before he made a sudden movement that made me flinch back slightly.

"This!" he shouted throwing something at my feet violently, "_This_ is what I'm talking about"

I looked down to the floor and felt sick with what I saw lying there innocently in the shadows of the dancing flames.

My diary.

For a long time I stared at the diary, as if it was going to do something, then I slowly raised my eyes to Ron, who was still glaring at me through slit eyes, daring me to say something.

"Where did you get that from?" I managed to ask through a tight throat, voice barely above a whisper.

"Your Transfiguration book, it was hidden inside" spat Ron furiously.

I didn't know what to say, I was wringing my hands together in front of me, biting my lip unconsciously and Ron and I stared across at each other, my diary lying innocently between us. I bent down to pick up the diary, before seeing Ron's foot come out of nowhere kicking it out of reach.

I looked up to him standing above me quickly, still not sure how to handle to situation or Ron's famous volatile nature, but he was being stupid and I felt my own Weasley temper rising.

"What did you do that for?" I asked quietly, straightening myself to eye level with him, although I was a considerable three or four inches shorter.

"You're not touching that thing" hissed Ron as I stepped closer to him.

"I'm not? Who made you my keeper? What gives you the right to tell me what to do?" I asked him loudly, jabbing a finger against his chest.

"I'm looking after you here, that gives me the right!" shouted Ron.

"I can look after myself!" I shouted back.

"Yeah, of course you can Ginny, just like in your first year" scoffed Ron.

I felt like I'd been punched in the gut and I took an unsteady step backwards. None of the family had mentioned my first year, if was a taboo subject not talked about since, until now. Demons still haunted me from that year's events and Ron knew he struck a cord and gave a satisfied smirk.

There was something lingering in Ron's emotions that made my anger swell, and I was about to furiously reply when the portrait door opened and the last person I wanted to see right now came walking in, sweaty and tired from a night of Quidditch training.

I felt the sicknesses in my stomach threaten to overcome me as I watched him walk towards us wearily, completely oblivious to the row that had just been going on. He smiled brightly at me when he did realise I was there, a smile which quickly slid off when he saw my expression. He looked across the Ron, standing with his arms folded in furious satisfaction then to Hermione, who was silent, with eyes open wide still.

"What's happened?" he asked urgently, dropping his broom off his shoulder to his side.

No one spoke. How was I supposed to tell Harry this? I opened my mouth a few times but nothing came out, which seemed to increase Ron's satisfaction and Hermione's worry. Harry looked across to me, studying my face and I felt his eyes burn into mine and I felt as if he was looking into my very soul.

"What's wrong?" he asked again louder, directing his question towards Hermione who just shook her head mutely.

Ron however felt it was time to fill Harry in as he bent down and picked up the diary gingerly, as if it was going to hurt him and turned to Harry, eyes glittering maliciously. 

"Here, take a look at what secrets Ginny's been keeping from you" he said with a smirk, stuffing the book into his hands and stepping back.

Harry looked down to what was held in his hands, and I watched as all the colour drained from his face and heard him catch his breath. His broom clattered to the floor and the sound echoed around the silent common room. After what seemed like eternity of his studying the book cover he looked across to me, his eyes holding an unreadable expression. He seemed to be searching for some kind of reason or explanation in my eyes as I started back, torn between anger at Ron and fear at what his verdict would be.

I took a steady breath, and the world seemed to hold it's breath, waiting for this one moment, which would shape things to come.

"Well?" prompted Ron, unable to stand the silence any longer.

"I don't think it would be right to read Ginny's diary. If she had any secrets it'd be up to her to tell them to me" said Harry steadily, holding my gaze uncomfortably, staring at me with eyes that held hurt and fear.

His eyes hurt me more than Ron's words ever could and I felt my stomach give an uncomfortable lurch. Harry however, wasn't looking at me any more, his attention was centred onto Ron and Hermione who faced us. I could tell Hermione was as terrified of the book as Ron was, he was just hiding it behind his anger.

Ron looked at Harry for a long time, as if trying to work out what was going to happen next, no one wanted to be the one to ask the next question, but no-one wanted to walk away.

"And that's all you've got to say about it?" hissed Ron eventually.

"What do you want me to say Ron?"

"Tell me what it is" he stated, arms folded and his expression serious.

"It's a diary" Harry stated, handing it back to Ron who refused to take it.

"Exactly" said Ron triumphantly, and for the first time Harry looked slightly confused.

Ron and Harry stared at each other for an eternity, and I could feel the tension crackling in the air, making it difficult for me to breathe. My heart was thumping painfully against my ribs and I still felt slightly sick as I watched Ron still holding the diary. I had no idea what was going to happen, and I was so caught up in my own whirlwind of thoughts that I nearly didn't catch Hermione speaking for the first time.

"Where did you get it from?" she whispered, eyes fixed on the black cover, staring widely.

I swallowed the lump in my mouth, and my thoughts whirled around wild cover stories but I realised with a sinking heart that if I lied, it would just get me into more trouble. I didn't want to lie to Harry most of all, he would be able to tell, just by looking in my eyes he'd be able to tell.

"Someone gave it to me" I whispered back, eyes fixed on the floor.

I heard a sharp intake of breath.

"Who?" asked Ron quietly.

"A woman"

"When, where?"

"In Flourish and Blotts, when we went to Diagon Alley during the holidays"

"Ginny! How could you be so stupid?" asked Ron incredulously.

I looked up angrily to see Ron pacing the room running his fingers through his hair, as Hermione looked open-mouthed and shocked. I hazarded a look up at Harry who was concentrating steadily on my face. I felt my cheeks flush with shame, I should have known this would happened, I should have thought about this when I took the book from that woman.

"Why did you do that Ginny? Why would you do something so stupid like that?" he shouted at me.

Something inside me snapped at that point. No longer shy, innocent little Ginny I thought angrily as I stared at him, time to tell him who I am, why I do what I do.

"Because I was lonely Ron! You don't know what it was like for me do you? You've got Hermione and Harry to hang around with, to talk to, and to share your secrets with! I didn't have anybody! I was alone to sort out my life. You don't even know what its like to sit across the room from you three, sharing your secrets together, shutting up when I come near or ignoring me completely! Did you even know I was at this school as well? Do you even realise when I'm around?" I said in a rush, pouring out every thought and feeling I could before the tears in my eyes flowed down my face freely.

There was a ringing silence in the common room as I sobbed into my hands, poised between fight and flight, alone. Then suddenly I wasn't alone, as I felt a strong pair of arms encircle me, and heard a roar of frustration come from Ron.

"Harry, get away from her!" he shouted loudly.

"Why?" he asked from above me defiantly.

"Because, _she _is my little sister and _you _are my best friend"

"Then, as my best friend and Ginny's brother, you should want us to be happy" said Harry calmly.

Silence again. Uneasy, tension filled, anger fuelled silence.

"That's not the point…I _know, _I've watched you and her, creeping around my back, thinking your so smart that Ron doesn't notice, well guess what? I DID!" 

I flinched through my tears and pressed my face against the robes on Harry's shoulder, well aware that Harry was now fighting my battle for me.

"I don't care, Ron, that you know. This isn't what were talking about right now" said Harry simply and I felt my chest swell with pride.

"Fine, FINE! Lets talk about your _diary _Ginny. Lets talk about what _possessed_ you to take a diary from a perfect stranger after everything that's happened" said Ron crazily.

"It's just a normal diary Ron, there nothing magical about it, it's muggle" I said, speaking for the first time from the recesses of Harry's robes, after taking a shuddering deep breath.

"So you say" said Ron dismissively, and I felt tension creep into my body once again.

"Don't you trust her to know when something is wrong or not?" asked Harry furiously.

"Of course I don't trust her!" Ron shouted back across the room.

Time stopped, and all sounds left me as the words echoed around my brain. I don't trust you. My own brother didn't trust me, my own brother didn't trust me to know if something was wrong. Finally conflicting emotions of devastation and fury were replaced by just fury and let out a roar of anger, closing the distance between me and Ron in a few short strides and raising my hand to slap him hard across the face.

"How _dare _you say that to me, your own sister!" I shrieked, pushing him hard with both hands, "How dare you!"

I lost myself in my fury and punched and kicked and lashed out wildly all the time shrieking and seething with rage. I knew he didn't trust me, deep down I knew. Ever since the Chamber I knew he couldn't trust me to look out for myself, to believe in me, and I told him so between the punches.

I continued to take out all my pent up aggression on him until I felt a pair of strong arms wrap around my waist again and pull me back, as I fought claw and tooth to get back at Ron.

"Let go of me! Let _go _of me!" I shrieked, kicking out wildly, feeling my foot connect with something hard.

I heard a grunt of pain from behind me and heard Harry talking quickly in my ear, "Calm down Ginny, this isn't helping, come on, calm down, ssshhh"

I abated slightly, glaring mutinously at Ron, trying to wrench myself out of Harry's hold, which seemed to posses a strength I would not of thought him capable of.

"See what I mean!" said Ron loudly as I writhed about, "It's making her go crazy!"

At this I wrenched myself out of Harry's grip and gave another growl of frustration as Harry caught hold of my wrist, holding me in place again. I pointed an accusing finger at Ron, who narrowed his eyes dangerously at me.

"No _you're _making me crazy! Suffocating me with your over-protectiveness whenever it suits you! ! I can't live my life perfectly the way you want it to be!" I yelled, pouring out every thought that had dogged me since the Chamber.

"I have to watch over you Ginny, in case you ever go and do anything stupid like this!" he shouted, waving the diary in front of my face.

My response was to lunge for my diary, but found myself held in place by Harry's vice-like grip. I was about to reply furiously before Harry got there before me.

"Ron, shut the hell up. It's just a diary, paper and leather ok? Now give it back to Ginny, turn around and go to bed" he said, voice steady with a deadly calm.

"No. No it's not ok! She can't be left to keep this thing." said Ron angrily.

"Ron, give Ginny the diary" said Harry again, in the same cool voice.

Ron stared back at Harry, and I could see was what going on inside his mind. He didn't want Harry to tell him what to do, he didn't want me to have a diary, and he didn't want to leave without a fight.

"No"

"GIVE GINNY THE DAMN BOOK!" shouted Harry furiously and I felt myself shrink back.

I had never seen him as angry as this, and if that anger had been directed at me I would have fainted on that very spot, mesmerised by the usually tranquil green eyes that were blazing with fury.

But Ron was either made of stronger stuff than I was, or too angry to care, because he didn't make a move. Seconds stretched out in front of us as we all stood stock still, me breathing heavily and Harry and Ron engaging in a furious battle of wills, glaring furiously at each other. 

Ron still held my diary and my thoughts became more horrified at the thought of him opening it up, and reading what I'd written what if he had? My anger flared once again fuelled by the thoughts raging inside my head. Ron didn't trust me, Ron betrayed my trust, and he'd read my diary.

"I knew you'd take her side" whispered Ron finally, shattering the tensions filled, yet silent room.

"And why is that?" asked Harry steadily.

Ron however chose not to answer, but merely shook his head in disgust, his eyes now darting from Harry to me, as if he'd suddenly realised he was not just dealing with me anymore, but two people. While Hermione remained silent, a look of intense thought and concentration on her face.

"Don't you remember what it was like Harry?" whispered Ron eventually, eyes glittering in the dark, "Being down in that chamber? Not knowing if she was alive or dead, not even knowing if we'd survive! Too scared to even open our eyes to see what would be waiting for us. I'm not going to go through that again. You don't love her like I do"

Ron finished speaking and his passionate echoes died in the room, as we still stood facing each other. I heard Hermione give a dry sob from beside me and I looked to see she had tears in her eyes, as did Ron. I became aware that Harry was still grasping my wrist painfully and I could see his eyes flashing with anger, but also something else. Some nameless fear lurking in the green depths, haunting and dulling the colour.

Three was another long uneasy silence, while Harry grappled with what to say next. I could almost hear his thoughts, He wanted as much as I did to tell Ron that I did love him, as he did me. But that was one battle I don't think either of us were ready to fight yet, not after everything that had already happened tonight.

"If you really loved Ginny you wouldn't try to control her life, and take away her freedom" Harry spat eventually.

"Her freedom to kill herself?" shouted Ron.

"RON! It's just a book! It's not evil, it's not magical, it's just a little muggle book! Why is this such a big deal?" asked Harry furiously.

"If it's not magical, and it's not evil, why…" he asked, as he held the book above the roaring flames of the fire "…is it so important to her?"

My heart gave a lurch, Ron was going to throw it into the fire, just to prove his point. I watched as it was held above the licking flames, and I suddenly felt as if it was a piece of me being held above the flames, being threatened to be destroyed. Ron was trying to take away what made me, me.

I made a start forward, pulling against the restraint Harry still offered, trying to reach my book. I was beyond anger now, and all I felt was fear. I just wanted my book back.

"Please Ron, give it back" I pleaded, pulling forwards as Harry strained against my pull.

"Ron just give it back to her" asked Harry desperately, sensing the change in mood around us.

"Ginny, I'm only trying to help you" said Ron solemnly as he began to lower the book.

"NO!" I shouted desperately, pulling forward even harder, and I felt a sudden freedom, as Harry stumbled and I broke free.

I raced forwards before feeling his arms back around my waist, and I growled low in my throat, struggling violently again to be let loose before Ron burnt my life away.

"Ron don't you dare burn that book! Don't you even _dare_" I shrieked across at Ron who was looking at me through determined, yet sad eyes.

"Ron give Ginny the book" said Harry more urgently this time as he continued to lower the book towards the flames.

"RON?!" I screamed more worried than anything now.

"RON!" shouted Harry.

Time slowed down, and I watched unaware of the scream coming out of my mouth as my diary fell through the air, being pushed around violently by the flames until it fell into the ashes with a soft thump. The fire glowed brighter and I launched myself at the fire, trying the get it out before it was too late.

I felt my feet leaving the floor, and the arms around me lifting me up, in a desperate attempt to stop me doing what I wanted to do most in the world.

"NOOOOO!" I shrieked loudly, feeling tears rapidly fill my eyes and splash down my face, blurring my vision.

Silence. 

"Get out of here now Ron, because if Ginny doesn't do anything to you, I swear to God I will" I heard Harry say and I watched the hungry flames lick up the side of the book.

I sank to the floor, unaware that Harry was still next to me, and I heard no other sound after that, except to roar if the fire as the pages of my diary were tossed and turned and consumed. All that was left was a powdery ash that was quickly swept away up the chimney of the common room, disappearing into the night sky.

I howled in grief as I watched the last pieces disappear, until the embers died and the hands around my waist loosened and went slack. My vision dimmed and my world went black.

*

We all knew it was going to happen. When you play with fire long enough, your bound to get burned. Ron finally figured it out, but in the worst possible way. What's going to happen now? We can only wait and see…

"Marmite, you either love it, or your hate it…or you've never heard of it!"


	6. Tis The Season

AN/ SOBS That last chapter was hard to write, and I'm glad you all liked it, although if I may say so you must all be sadists hehehe. This one charts what happens after the book burning, and how Ginny copes, followed by spoiler for part eight!

Glad you all enjoyed it, and on the Marmite front, I'm sorry to say it doesn't look like America has been subjected to it! It is an entirely British and possible Australian thing! Anyone else out there know of the foul goo from hell?

*

In the days to come I wouldn't remember how I even managed to live my life that day. I woke up in a stiff heap on the common room floor and pulled myself up, seeing the dead coals of the fire before my vision blurred. I roughly wiped the tears from my face, stepped over Harry who was still lying on the floor awkwardly and walked to breakfast.

I ate my cereal in automatic, thoughts still a million miles away with the scene of last night. It wasn't so much that I'd lost a diary that was upsetting me, than the fact I'd lost a brother as well. Ron didn't love me, he did trust me, he betrayed me. He didn't think anything of causing me all this pain, even when he knew he was wrong.

I took a long steadying breath as my eyes filled with tears again and I thought with a deep longing about my diary. I thought about how much I'd like to write all this down, and sort out my thoughts, maybe I'd be able to sense some kind of reason behind Ron's random act of hurt.

I could picture it in my mind so vividly that I couldn't believe it was now nothing more than ash and dust carried across the country on the winds scattered and lost forever. Ron might as well have put my soul in the fire for the loss I felt although I knew it was nothing more than paper and ink, in my heart it was my thoughts, my hopes, my dreams.

I was still lost in my thoughts when I felt someone sit next to me, and I didn't need to turn around to know it was Harry, but I didn't care, I continued to eat.

"How you feeling?" I heard his faraway voice ask me.

I didn't reply, what was I supposed to say? I felt like I'd lost a brother, how did he think I was going to feel? I stared at my cereal, wishing I wasn't there, wishing I was back in my bed, away from the happy, smiling faces of the school where I could just sit alone.

"I'm here for you, you know" he said quietly.

I felt an arm snake around my waist and Harry planted a small kiss on my forehead, before he turned back to his food. I sighed deeply, a day ago I would have been jumping for joy if Harry had done that to me at breakfast, but now…

"I know" I whispered before getting out of my seat and leaving.

Before I knew where my feet had taken me, I was in my dormitory, sitting on my plush bed with the blankets pulled around me, creating a cocoon from the outside world. If only I could turn back the hands of time I would spare myself of the hurt, fear and anger the diary had caused me a second time.

And if I could turn back the hands of time, none of this would have happened. Without the diary, I may never have known how Harry felt about me. Without the diary I would still have a brother.

*

Nothing in the following days could make me feel better, and I walked around school with a cloud over my head, not even Harry could raise a smile. He was beginning to get worried I could tell, and he was feeling lonely as well. He wouldn't speak to Ron and Hermione was staying by Ron's side. She believed he'd done the right thing – something I couldn't comprehend. How could she seriously think Ron had done the right thing? She's so smart, how could she make such a terrible mistake?

So Harry wouldn't speak to Ron because of his betrayal to me, and Ron wouldn't speak to Harry for sticking up for me in the face of apparently overwhelming evidence. He was miserable, as was I, but there was nothing I could do about it. I was feeling too upset for myself to care and as a result I pushed everyone away and threw myself into my schoolwork.

I could feel everything I worked so hard to make falling apart. Friendships, ties, my whole life crumbling around me over what would seem to some people a small nothing. The worst thing was, I watched it happening, hidden deep within myself, too depressed to care.

And so went my life, a never-ending circle of classes and homework, classes and homework, until I lost track of days. So it was on another nameless day as I was sat in the common room, diligently completing my potions essay when Harry sat down next to me.

"I've bought you some food, you missed dinner…again" he said pushing over some rolls wrapped in napkins before sitting back in his chair.

"Oh, I didn't realise" I said quietly as I pulled a corner of the roll and chewed it thoughtfully.

Inside my heart was screaming at myself to talk to Harry, just so I could hear his voice again, so he could make me laugh. But my mouth remained firmly closed and my eyes firmly fixed on the dancing flames of the fire. The thing that was stopping me was fear. I didn't know what Harry's thoughts were on my diary, when he had seen it he was shocked, even a little fearful but I had also seen hurt in his eyes. He had told Ron if I had any secrets from him, it would be up to me to tell him. That's what he thought…he thought I had secrets. And I did, I'd kept secrets from him when he told me everything.

I lost myself in my unhappy thoughts, aware that Harry was still waiting for me to say something else. I sighed heavily, I just didn't feel like talking to him right now. And suddenly I heard him, speaking to me in a worried voice, centimetres away across what felt like an endless chasm I couldn't cross.
    
    "Show me a smile, don't be unhappy, I can't remember when I last saw you laughing, If this world makes you crazy and you take in all you can bare_, _You call me - because you know I'll be there"
    I smiled on the inside as I heard the familiar lyrics to my favorite song, and thought of how weird it was that they exactly fitted the occasion. Tears sprang to my eyes, blurring my focus and they dropped onto my parchment. Harry was waiting for me to say something and when after a few minutes I didn't, he gave a defeated sigh and slumped back in his chair.

I looked across to him and studied his face. His eyes were closed as he leaned back in the chair and for the first time I saw how miserable he looked. His face was home to a permanent frown and a worried expression and for the first time I wondered how this whole thing had affected him. His group of friends had been torn apart all because of me.

"I'm sorry" I whispered, voiced half-choked with tears.

His eyes flew open and he looked at me with concern as more tears filled my eyes and suddenly the pain and hurt from the last few weeks overcame me and I couldn't hold them in. I sat face in hands as I cried and cried unable to bear the loneliness and fear by myself anymore.

"I'm s-so-sorry for everything" I stuttered, crying even harder.

And all at once I wasn't alone, as a pair of arms pulled me into a tight hug and I let my tears run freely as I wailed in misery.

"There's nothing to be sorry for" 

"There is! If I ha-hadn't got that stupid book, if I hadn't been so stu-stupid again, everything would be alright!" I sobbed even harder, thinking about what we'd all lost because of what I'd done.

"There's no harm in having a diary Ginny, and I don't care that you had one. You could have told me you know, you didn't need to keep it a secret!" Harry told me, and I sensed hurt in his words.

"I couldn't Harry, not after last time" I said hurriedly, frowning at the wall as my chin was on his shoulder.

"You could've told me anything Ginny, and I wouldn't have cared" he whispered.

"I know, I should've known" I said gasping slightly for breath as my tears subsided.

"It doesn't matter, it's all in the open now"

I smiled grimly, Harry forgave so easily, after I felt I'd let him down so much. I cursed myself for being so weak and furiously brushed the tears that betrayed me away.

"I won't let you down again" I told him fiercely, truly meaning it.

Harry merely shook his head and gave a smile at me as if to tell me to stop being silly. I felt my heart lighten slightly as I listened to Harry, he didn't seem angry with me, just grateful that we were speaking again, and I closed my eyes feeling almost happy for the first time in many weeks.

"I've missed you" I murmured quietly.

"I haven't been anywhere" he said with a small laugh.

I smiled, feeling muscles that hadn't worked for sometime suddenly being pulled back into action. He may think he hadn't been anywhere, but he had to me. He had been right in front of me but always just out of reach. Or maybe it was just me that had been away, off in some different world locked inside my own head, too caught up in my thoughts to notice or care.

"You know what I mean" I said, laughing myself, unused to the foreign sound escaping my lips.

"Now _that _is a sound I've missed" said Harry with a grin as I giggled at his expression, one of pure happiness, completely transformed from a minute ago.

"Well get used to it" I said firmly as I swivelled round until I was sitting in his lap, "Because Ginny is _back_"

"For good?" Harry asked, raising an eyebrow in mock-suspicion.

"For good" I said laughing, feeling the stresses and strains of the week ebb away.

*

True to my word I was back, but nothing could stop the hurt I felt when I saw Ron or Hermione across a room, or in a corridor, or in the Great Hall. Nothing could stop my mind re-running the thoughts of that night, and Ron's angry voice. _Of course I don't trust her!_

But I could see no way out of this argument, of all the ones I'd had with Ron over the years, this was the worst, this was the big one. I could see no way for either of us, both adamant in our convictions, I knew the diary was safe, Ron thought it wasn't, and now there was no way to prove it.

Apart from Harry, there was nothing else left to celebrate in my life and as December got under way I was desperately low on seasonable cheer. And the worst was yet to come as I sat at the Gryffindor table one morning awaiting the owl post. Dead on time hundreds of owls flocked through the air and began to swoop towards there owners and I felt a tight knot begin in my stomach when I saw Errol swooping down towards me. 

I glanced down the table and saw Fred and George laughing and chatting away with some of the Quidditch team, and further down the table Ron was sat next to Hermione, deep in conversation. I clenched my fists angrily and glared at the owl, which hooted back to me indignantly, probably for taking out my anger on him.

I sighed deeply and untied the letter from Errol who feebly staggered down the table, helping himself to my Cornflakes. I pulled the letter out of the envelope, which was addressed merely to 'The Weasley's' and propped it up against the milk jug.

Dear Fred, George, Ron and Ginny.

How are you all? I hope your keeping yourselves out of trouble and studying very hard? Your father and I are just sending you a small letter to tell you about this years Christmas celebration plans. Charlie and his new girlfriend from Romania are coming over for Christmas dinner, as is Bill and Shelly and Percy and Penelope, so the whole family will be reunited for Christmas dinner.

Your father and I will pick you up from Platform 9 ¾ and we can't wait to see you all, we've missed you so much. Tell Ginny she can bring one of her friend's back if she would like and tell Fred and George the same. And could you tell Ron that Hermione is very welcome to stay with us, although there is one problem. As much as I've tried to convince Dumbledore, he will not give Harry permission to leave the school this year. Ron, I'm very sorry but it's just not possible.

Tell him were all very sorry and we would have loved him to be with us on the big day.

I can't wait to see you all soon,

Love

Mom and Dad.

I re-read the letter a few times with a sinking heart, the letter bought hardly any happy news. So it was a big family dinner at Christmas this year, everyone was invited except the one person I wanted to be there the most. What a lovely Christmas Harry was going to have this year, no Ron, Hermione (not that he'd care), no me, no Fred and George, in fact no one at all here except himself.

I frowned at the letter distractedly and almost laughed at loud when I'd read mom's line to myself again. _Tell Ginny she can bring one of her friend's back if she would like_. I thumped the table angrily, earning me several curious glances from fellow Gryffindor's before I got up and stalked through the room. When I reached Ron's place I hesitated slightly, and they both looked at me with strange expressions on their faces. A mixture of hope, anger and fear. I saved them the effort of wondering what I was doing.

"This years Christmas arrangements" I said shortly, dropping the crumpled parchment in front of them and walking away.

I walked quickly through the corridors, more out of a need for something to do than I needed to be at my Magical Arts class early. I didn't want to be at home for Christmas this year, I wanted to be here, with Harry, but it was impossible. But I also wanted to be home, to see Bill again and meet Charlie's new girlfriend. I missed my mom and dad terribly and would just like to be sitting in my room at that very moment, full of safety and comfort.

The problem is, I didn't know where I wanted to be, or who I wanted to be with this Christmas, but it wasn't like I had a choice was it?

I began to hum absent-mindedly under my breath as I pushed the door open to the class.

"_T'is the season to be jolly, fa la la la laa…"_


	7. Static Hair

AN/ Since when did I turn into a angst writer anyways? Happy times, revelations for Ginny, but the unfortunate but necessary sad times as well. Will not use any spoilers, but as you all as so vociferous in telling me, yes Ron is a git, and you'll have to wait to read Harry's PoV to see why Hermione's acting like she is.

Marmite Update: Thanks to BESSIE who informs me not only do Britain and Australia have the fool goo from hell, but also SOUTH AFRICA do…good gawds its spreading

ALSO…32 reviews! I love you guys soooo much, have a big kiss and a thank you from me!

*

"I feel so claustrophobic in this place!" I burst out one night, sick of sitting in the same chair in the same common room doing the same boring tasks.

Harry looked up from his parchment with a mild smile on his face, as I stuffed all my papers in my bags violently, and kicked it under the table.

"I don't care if I get a detention, I'm not touching another piece of homework tonight!" I stated, folding my arms across my chest, daring Harry to contradict me.

"Well in that case I can't very well go doing mine then can I? I'd look like a right nerd" said Harry, getting rid of all his parchment as well before putting his feet up on the table.

"So, I vote, we go and do something" I said desperately.

"But Miss Weasley" said Harry indignantly looking at his watch, "Its nearly half past ten, we'd be breaking school rules by going out of the common room"

"I know that" I said happily before my face fell at a sudden thought, "Although we'd probably be caught by Filch, it's a miracle we didn't get caught the other night on the way back from Hogsmeade"

"Ah you sweet, innocent little angel" said Harry condescendingly, "You have _so _much to learn in the art of sneaking out. How do you think we managed it all those other times without getting caught?"

I let the reference to Ron and Hermione pass me by as my curiosity rose, clearly this was going to be another revelation to me, like the invisibility cloak was. Harry however didn't answer my pleads but merely walked off to his room, coming back carrying two things. Firstly was a bundle I recognised as his cloak, and second was a piece of tattered parchment. He sat next to me, and regarded me with a mischievous glint in his eye.

"_This" _said Harry with a flourish laying the parchment on the table, "Was given to me by some very good friends of mine"

I picked up the piece of blank parchment and turned it over, looking at it closely. It seemed nothing more than what it looked, but I could tell by the way Harry was looking at it that it was much, much more.

"What is it?" I asked finally, deciding this was the least stupid way to start off.

"This is what's known as the Marauder's Map. It was written a while ago by four wizards, and it details every corridor, secret tunnel and passage way on the grounds of Hogwarts, as well as every person and password" said Harry, looking at the map fondly.

I choked back my questions as I looked at the parchment in a new light, this thing was priceless I thought to myself, picked it up reverentially. 

"I solemnly swear I am up to no good" said Harry, touching the page lightly with his wand, and I gasped in delights as small ink lines began to spread across the page, snaking and swirling until an intricate web of tunnels and passageways were created.

I watched the map for some minutes, taking in the fine detail of the castle and it's occupants. Right now I could see Albus Dumbledore walking about in the kitchens, Argus Filch patrolling the trophy room, and Virginia Weasley sat in the Gryfinndor common room. I smiled broadly as I watched the passageways, counting at least four people not in their common rooms.

"This…is amazing!" I whispered in awe.

"I know, it's saved my life countless times" laughed Harry.

"Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs…I wonder who those people were?" I muttered, reading the curly script at the top of the page.

Harry's smile faltered for a second and if I'd thought anything of it, I would have asked him about it but I was too busy marvelling at the intricate artwork of whomever had drawn it.

"You know, whoever drew this must have been so talented, and the charms on it!" I said in admiration as Harry smiled at me broadly.

"Well, what's say we put it to the test and go for a little stroll?" asked Harry.

I jumped to my feet and hurried to the portrait, safe in the knowledge that 'Ronald Weasley' was in his dormitory and 'Hermione Granger' also in her own. Once outside the Portrait the cloak was swung around my head and we made a steady progress through the corridors, map pulled close my nose as I was walking in front. 

We tested out a few of the tunnels and I marvelled at the passwords my picture form was giving me, and the way the tunnels could cut twenty minutes out of some journeys I took everyday. We were sitting in one such tunnel, examining the map closely when I once again wondered about the names of the manufacturers. I knew almost all the people who made pranks and mischief items around, a shortcoming of being the sister of Fred and George, but these were new to me.

"So who _really _gave you this map?" I asked, as Harry grinned at me.

"That's is for me to know, and for you to find out" he said, laughing as I pouted.

"Aw come on Harry, why can't you just tell me?" I asked giving him The Look.

"Because where's the mystery in that?" he said, completely ignoring the never-failed look used countless times on siblings and parents alike.

"_How _do you do that?" I asked, in a mixture of awe and frustration.

"Do what?" he asked absently, gazing at the map once again.

"How do you manage to be completely unaffected by The Look?" I whined.

"The Look?" asked Harry quizzically.

"Yes, this look," I said demonstrating, "It NEVER fails to work on anyone but you!"

"That's because," said Harry importantly, "I'm special"

I gazed at him stonily for a few seconds before blurting out laughing, he could be such an idiot sometimes. After my giggles had subsided I looked back at the map again, my eyes being instantly drawn to the names heralding the top of the parchment. There was something about them that made me stop and think, something that I couldn't quite explain. Something was nagging me in the back of my mind, like I'd heard the names before somewhere. 

"There's something really familiar about all of this," I said after a few minutes of frustrating contemplation, "There's something important about those names"

Harry was silent and I looked across to him to see him looking quite pale from the glow of my wand. He was looking at the names as well, biting his lips and running his hand through his hair unconsciously, like he always does when he's worried.

"What is it?" I asked, frowning at him slightly.

"There's something special about each one of those names" said Harry eventually, in a rather anxious tone.

"Tell me" I told him, and for once there was no need for the ineffective puppy dog look.

"I don't even know where to start" said Harry heavily, before picking up the parchment, "But I suppose I better start by telling you these peoples real names"

"They were four students of Hogwarts, collectively known as The Marauders. Moony is otherwise know as Remus Lupin, Wormtail is Peter Pettigrew, Padfoot is Sirius Black and Prongs…was James Potter"

I felt my mouth drop open with each name, all of which I recognised for very different reasons. I gazed dumbstruck at Harry who was looking sad and I attempted to say something.

"Your dad…Knew Sirius Black?" I whispered, hesitating slightly at saying the name.

"They were best friends at Hogwarts, as close as brothers, and Sirius was made my godfather when I was born" answered Harry as I struggled to come to terms with the news.

Harry's dad was best friends with the guy who was trying to kill him two years ago? He was Harry's godfather? His godfather was the person who had been sent to Azkabam for the murder of thirteen innocent people?

"He…your…I don't understand" I said, struggling to understand.

"Well, you better get comfy because this might take a while" said Harry, grinning sadly as I looked on with eager, curious eyes.

And I sat, open-mouthed, reeling with shock as each detail of the lives of those four people were told to me, by a very grim looking Harry. I heard about the four at school were the popular pranksters who would do anything for each other, even if it included becoming illegal animagi. I listened with tear-filled eyes as Harry told me how his parents came to be discovered whilst they were in hiding, how they had been betrayed by their best friend, how Sirius had been framed for the murder and left to rot in prison. I cried out in alarm when he told me the real identity of Scabber's the rat, and what happened when they emerged from the Whomping Willow.

Harry made for a good story-teller as I sat enraptured by a horrific tale of betrayal, murder and heartache, overwhelmed by all the information I was receiving at once. I felt my eyes fill with tears when I thought of Sirius, alone and on the run, while his best friend was led to his death by who he considered a friend. And finally Harry finished his tale, with how Sirius was in hiding with professor Lupin, and Pettigrew back with You-Know-Who.

There was a long silence and I looked at the four names again, amazed by the world of information hidden behind each name, marvelling how their pasts, future and present selves were so interconnected and intertwined with one and other.

"I can't believe it…" I said, still rather shocked by it all.

"I still can't, sometimes it just feels like some kind of horror story" said Harry laughing grimly.

"So your parents were…they died because their best friend betrayed them?" I asked haltingly, not sure if Harry ever did or wanted to talk about it.

"Yeah…." whispered Harry.

"And Sirius was in Azkabam all those years, knowing he'd not only lost his best friend, but that it was Peters fault" I whispered, horrified at the thought.

Twelve years is a long time, especially if spent in the company of those dementors. The very thought of them made my spine tingle and my blood run cold, and that was nothing compared to what I felt when they appeared in a train compartment two years ago.

"I really can't believe it. So all this time I've been petrified Sirius Black would find you and finish what I thought he'd started, when all the time the real murderer had been living in my house? Sitting in my room, being cuddled by me!" I said, disgusted by the very thought of what 'Scabber's' must know about my family and myself.

"That's nothing compared to how Ron felt, but we were so terrified when we first met Sirius we didn't believe him, we thought he was still trying to kill me. Ron even tried to protect me, he placed himself between me and Sirius and said 'If you're going to kill Harry, you're going to have to get through me first'"

I looked across to Harry to see him look even sadder, apparently lost in thoughts of the good times with Ron, when they were still talking.

"Do you miss Ron? And Hermione?" I asked quietly.

"No of course not" Harry said giving me a false smile and wrapping me in a hug, "I've got you"

I smiled slightly at his words even though I knew they were a lie. I knew Harry really did miss Ron and Hermione terribly, but would never admit to it, and once again I felt a terrible sense of guilt. It was all my fault that he didn't have his best friends any more, that he didn't have people who knew him or understood him, and had been through what they had together. I also felt a strange sense of jealousy, because I knew that no matter how much he loved me, he needed Ron and Hermione too.

"You're a terrible liar Harry Potter, has anyone ever told you that?" I said, laughing at the guilty look on his face.

"Yeah, I think you have on several occasions" he said affectionately.

"Well, I'm sorry. I'm sorry that you don't have your best friends anymore. Its all my fault, if I hadn't written in that damn book!" I said, tearful once again.

"And like I said before Ginny, its ok, it's not your fault! I'm sticking up for what's right here. Ron had no right to speak to you like he did, he had no right to do what he did"

"Yeah but there's no point in you loosing your best friend over a fight between me and Ron. I mean if you did that every time we had a fight, you'd have a relationship rockier than his with Hermione" I said.

"That's true," mused Harry before looking angrier again, "But that still doesn't excuse Ron, or Hermione. I can't believe she was so blind, she's supposed to be the smart one here"

"Once she sees past her fear she'll know, and then she'll speak to Ron" I said thoughtfully.

Harry nodded and we were silent for a few minutes lost in either happy memories or angry thoughts.

"And you know, one day when we're all together again, we'll look back at this and laugh" I said hopefully, although on the inside I felt my heart breaking.

I just wanted to be in my life a few weeks ago, before the diary was discovered, when we were all happy and friends and would sneak out to the kitchens together, or stay up late doing homework and playing chess. Even though I was furious with Ron, I couldn't help but miss him. I'd even go back to last year, when I didn't really know Harry, when Hermione was just a friend and Ron was my annoying brother. Just so I could start again with it all, and make no mistakes.

"But what's done is done and there's no way to change it" said Harry firmly, getting up signalling it was time to leave.

I stood up as well and soon we were both enveloped in the cloak, walking slowly so as not to trip over ourselves. I had the map pressed close to my face, and seeing the coast was clear, we hurriedly swept down the corridor and into the common room. Harry pulled off the cloak and I giggled as I saw his hair stand on end with the static.

"What're you laughing at?" he asked suspiciously.

"Oh nothing" I said, standing on tiptoes so I could flatten his hair, or at least attempt to.

"It won't work, believe me" said Harry laughing at my attempts, as the hair always sprang back up again, "It just grows like that"

"Where have you two been?" came a sudden and angry voice from behind me, and I froze, arms still lifted up.

I could see Harry looking over my shoulder, and I slowly turned around to see Ron and Hermione standing there, arms folded across chests glaring at us. 

This was the first time they'd spoken to either us since the argument and I wasn't sure how to act. A few hours ago I would have still been furious at them, but now a small place in my heart was reserved just for sadness, and a longing for it all to be back to the way it was before.

"Where have you been?" repeated Ron when neither of us answered.

"Out" I said in a neutral voice.

"Out where?"

"I was just showing Ginny the map" said Harry calmly, obviously he didn't want to start a fight tonight, and especially not one with such a highly-strung Ron.

"I bet you were" laughed Ron derisively as Hermione watched on, the silent partner yet again.

I felt my cheeks flush slightly, but stared back at Ron angrily, I really wasn't in any mood to break my good mood I'd just recovered. I became aware that Harry had stepped forward and placed himself in front of me, typical for him I thought rolling my eyes.

"So what were you doing?" asked Ron calmly, before screwing up his face in a disgusted look, "On second thoughts I really don't want to know"

"Look Ron, if you've got a problem with me seeing Ginny, just go ahead and say it" said Harry furiously, so much for avoiding an argument I thought with a sinking heart.

"Fine. Fine I'll say it, I have a problem with you _seeing_ Ginny" said Ron simply.

"And what's the problem?" asked Harry, glaring at him steadily.

"The problem is she's my little sister and I'm just trying to protect her"

"You're the one I need protecting from Ron. You've caused me more heartache these past few weeks than Harry ever could" I spat furiously, ready to bolt, I didn't have to stand here and listen to all this rubbish.

Ron angry expression slipped off his face at once and for a second he almost looked worried. I realised it must be a little taste of his own medicine, lets see how he likes it. It was short lived though because almost as soon as it had come, the expression died and was replaced by anger.

"I wouldn't be too sure about that" he said calmly, and I felt Harry stiffen up next to me.

"And what is that supposed to mean?" asked Harry, his voice a deadly whisper, eyes slitted dangerously.

"Figure it out for yourself Harry" Ron replied coolly.

I was confused for a second, not really sure what they were talking about but I could tell from Harry's face that he understood perfectly, and whatever it was it hurt. I'd never seen him so angry, or so horrified and he was nearly shaking with rage. 

"You never cared" hissed Harry.

"Maybe, but the thought crossed my mind" replied Ron and I saw a new look of horror and hurt in his eyes, like everything his world had just came crashing around him.

"I would _never_ do anything to hurt Ginny" stated Harry, breathing heavily.

"Maybe not," replied Ron steadily, before dropping the bomb he'd been cradling so carefully, "But you're not exactly the safest person to be around are you Harry?"

And all at once like a hammer crashing down I understood what they had been talking about, Ron thought You-Know-Who would use me to get to Harry and when I realised I gave a gasp of anger or fear I'm not sure which. However, I had more important things to worry about presently as Harry made a violent start towards Ron, who looked just as ready for a fight. He threw a punch, which landed squarely on his jaw while I gave a scream and darted forwards, an action mirrored by Hermione.

There was a confusion of screams and shouts and a whirl of robes before I had a hold of Harry's robes and jerked him back violently. I had grown up with six brothers, I knew how to end a fight. Hermione had done the same and I placed myself in front of Harry, looking calmly into his eyes.

"It doesn't matter to me. Leave it" I said slowly, holding his eye contact shocked at the amount of anger and hurt his eyes betrayed.

I could hear Ron from behind me, and some quiet words being spoken by the up until now silent Hermione. Harry was breathing heavily and I flinched as he spat blood onto the carpet. I had to grasp the front of his robes to keep him still but suddenly I was pushed away to the side as he made for Ron again.

I felt angry at Ron for making the usually peaceful Harry get so riled up that he couldn't even contain his own anger and I wrenched him back before he'd covered half the distance. His eyes were the very picture of fury and had changed from bright emerald green to dark murky green and I shoved him back roughly, trying tog et some sense knocked into him before Ron knocked it all out.

"Leave It!" I shouted at him, as he looked at me half in anger, and half in hurt.

I grabbed the front of his robes to stop him from moving again and he started to breathe more normally. The bruise on his jawbone was a horrible yellow colour and the blood from inside his mouth mingled with that of his split lip. He looked positively frightening with his hair in disarray and his eyes blazing.

And then all at once he stopped struggling and I let go of him warily, he was staring at Ron furiously, whom Hermione was shielding. I stood in silence for a few moments as neither person made to move or even speak. Then Harry spun around, picked up his cloak and stormed out of the portrait, slamming it viciously against the wall.

"You shouldn't have said that to him Ron" said Hermione quietly, apparently forgetting I was in the room.

"He deserves a few home truths" said Ron savagely.

"He deserves nothing Ron!" I shrieked, taking him by surprise, I was sick of the way he was treating Harry now, it had gone beyond a joke, "His greatest crime was not telling you at the start, and your trying to break apart his world he's worked so hard to build! He's the last person that deserves any of this! You, me and Hermione, we're all he's really got, or didn't you think about that?"

Ron had the decency to look ashamed and they both quailed under my furious glare. Then with a motion similar to Harry's picked up the map and stormed out of the common room. Once I was in the dark, cool corridor I squinted at the map and searched for Harry, finding him running along the corridor towards the entrance hall. 

I took off a once, keeping a close eye on the map, dodging prefects and teacher wandering the halls by darting into the shadows, working on pure adrenaline as I pushed forwards. I don't know how long it took me but soon I had run out onto the wet grass of the grounds, shivering violently against the cold December air.

I found him standing at the shore of the lake, watching the black waters being carved by the howling wind, which was blowing the cloak from his hand like a banner. I stood next to him, not saying anything as my hair was whipped out behind me and my eyes streamed with the wind. After a long period of silence he turned to me and I tried to smile.

"Don't listen to what he says, he's just a stupid git" I said above the wind, wrapping my arms around his waist.

"It's true though" Harry said so quietly I almost didn't hear, but his eyes told me everything.

"Listen to me," I said fiercely, "I don't care, ok? I love you!"

"I know you do, but that still doesn't change the fact" said Harry, placing his forehead on mine and breathing deeply.

"Well when the time comes we'll face it together, and we'll overcome it" I said steadily.

Harry watched me for a long time, searching my eyes with his pain filled green ones. I didn't feel uncomfortable, just praying my own tears held long enough to finish the conversation.

"I don't want to put you in danger" he said softly.

"Well that's tough luck because you're stuck with me now" I said, giving him a watery smile.

"What would I ever do without you Ginny?" he asked sadly.

"Kill Ron?" I suggested which earned a genuine smile from him.

We stood for a few minutes, with my arms wrapped around him in comfortable silence. And I closed my eyes, foreheads resting on each other as I contemplated my future, which had just become a lot more unstable. Or maybe it was already unstable, and I just didn't know it. 

"We better get back before we get caught, I don't really feel like loosing 100 points for being out of bed" I suggested, pulling him towards the school.

"Yeah it's always a pain when that happens" laughed Harry as he threw the cloak over us and we made our way to through the entrance hall.

Once again we entered the common room, but this time it was empty with 'Ronald Weasley' safely tucked in bed and 'Hermione Granger' in hers. I gave Harry one last kiss before darting up to bed, and snuggling under my quilts quickly. I hugged myself tight, trying to rid myself of the cold that the wind had left on me, but after what seemed like an age of contemplative thoughts, I found myself still cold. And I decided it wasn't the wind, but fear, gripping me mercilessly until I fell into an uneasy sleep.


	8. Christmas Plans

AN/ Just this then there's the LAST CHAPTER to come - The Christmas play…at long last I hear you all grona. Hopes you've all been enjoying it, and don't worry's Harry's PoV to come SOON! Shameless plugging

Another piece of plug work I need to do, I have read he most amazing HP story I would like you to check out. It's by my best friend Mab, and is not your average story! Tres inventive! Check it out at…. http://www.fanfiction.net/read.php?storyid=1149583

So, 2nd to last chapter and counting…

*

It had been nearly two weeks since our argument with Ron that night in the common room, and so much had changed I nearly didn't recognise my life. Harry took Ron's word badly and had become very withdrawn, he seemed to think laughing and joking with me would alert You-Know-Who to my presence and hurt me. Deep down I knew he wanted to protect me with all his heart, but he was hurting me to protect me and I rather be in danger than be alone.

Ron and Hermione still weren't talking to us, and even if they were I wouldn't talk back. What Ron had said to Harry was unforgivable and I was still hurting over Ron's betrayal and mistrust in me. The castle seemed even colder and bleaker in the gloom of deep December and I was preparing for two things. The first was the Christmas concert, in just two nights time I would be standing in front of the student body, singing my heart out, and the thought terrified me.

The second thing I was preparing for was Christmas at the Burrow. I was desperately looking forward to seeing my family again, but didn't know how I could stand to be in the presence of Ron and Hermione for nearly two weeks, while Harry was here, alone. For alone he would be with nearly the entire student population going home to spend time with their family in these turbulent times. I knew for a fact no-one from Harry's year was staying, so he would be alone, spending Christmas day sitting in the common room alone. More punishment that he just didn't deserve.

So it was with that thought, that I found myself standing in front of Dumbledore's office, cursing myself for not stealing Harry's map to find out the password. After nearly a minute of frustrated pondering and violent kicks in the gargoyles shins I was about to give up and return home. But just then, the gargoyle sprang aside and none other than Albus Dumbledore was standing there, looking down at me from his great height with a cheerful smile.

"Ah Miss Weasley, I believe you were looking for me?" he asked jovially, peering at the gargoyles shins for a few seconds before turning back to me brightly.

"Yes Sir, I was" I squeaked, quite unused to talking to the headmaster and slightly embarrassed being caught attacking his statue.

"Well don't just stand there, come up to my office" he said, standing aside as I cautiously walked in, finding myself on a moving staircase.

I was led into a large office, dotted with portraits of former headmasters, most of them waving cheerfully at me, others in deep contemplation. There were mysterious instruments dotted around on tables and a merry fire crackling in the grate. The whole setting placed spoke to me of comfort and security, and I nervously stood in the centre, unsure of what to do.

"Please take a seat, mind the red one he tends to get a little cranky" he said happily as I eyed the aforesaid chair suspiciously and sitting carefully in a gold one.

After a few moments in silence as the headmaster rooted around the mountains of papers on his desk, happily producing a small paper bag and offering me one of its contents.

"Sherbet lemon?" he asked innocently as I stared at him, before he gave me a small wink and whispered, "I save them only for my favourite students"

I flushed furiously and accepted one of the weird looking sweets, trying to remember it from Honeyduke's and failing miserably. I contented myself for a few moments gazing around the room, intensely curious as to what they were. What I could do with ten minutes alone in this room! It was like the History of Magic Museum in Exeter, the very air tingled with secrets and magic.

"Well, I do believe you didn't come here for my sweets Miss Weasley?" said Dumbledore, waiting for me to begin.

"Oh, of course not Sir" I said blushing again before taking a deep breath and starting, "You see, I have a problem and I was wondering if you would be able to do anything to help me?"

"If it possible for me to do so, I will" said Dumbledore sincerely, motioning for me to continue.

"Well Sir, I got a letter from my mother a few weeks ago, telling me of the Christmas arrangements for the family, and she told me that you…that Harry couldn't come back to the Burrow with us" I said in a rush, breathing deeply at the end.

"Yes, that is indeed true" said Dumbledore, waiting for me to continue.

"Well Sir, I was wondering, is there anyway that you could change your mind? I mean, I'm sure there must be some kind of spell somewhere…or a potion? Something to let him be there, just for the day" I pleaded desperately as Dumbledore watched with sad eyes, and I knew already what the answer would be.

"Ginny," said Dumbledore softly, addressing me personally for the first time, "You know already there is nothing I can do"

"But Sir! You're the greatest headmaster Hogwarts has ever seen, everyone says it, there must be _something _you can do?" I begged, feeling tears sting my eyes.

"I must tell you something Ginny, something important. Harry is in more danger than you, I or even he knows. His life is a precarious balance of responsibility and care, every moment he is away from Hogwarts or his home in Surrey, he is in danger. And as last year showed, even Hogwarts is not safe for Harry Potter" said Dumbledore heavily and I felt a tear slide down my cheek, there was no hope.

"He was allowed to stay during the summer term" I said meekly, knowing I had already lost the argument, and angry at my inability to do anything.

"Time's have changed. There is a lot of things happening outside these walls that do not make it in to the daily letters and newspapers" said Dumbledore enigmatically. 

"So your going to let him be alone here?" I asked him, angry although I tried to keep it in check in front of the headmaster.

"He may be alone, but he'll be alive" 

"To be alone is to be dead" I said passionately, eyeing the headmaster steadily.

"I don't believe he'll be alone as long as your around" he said with a ghost of a smile playing on his lips.

"But Sir-?" I started before I was cut off.

"There is a price on Harry's head far greater than you can guess. And I'm afraid that as much as I would like to Harry to have a merry Christmas, it is not possible. Do you hear me Miss Weasley? It's not possible" said Dumbledore in a tone that told me the discussion was over.

"Well," I shouted forgetting myself and standing up furiously, "I'm sure we can all sleep safe in our beds knowing Harry Potter has a miserable life!"

Without another word I turned on my heal and stormed out of the room, running rapidly through the corridors, anger quickly being replaced by embarrassment at shouting at the headmaster, and loosing my cool like that.

But at the same time I couldn't help feeling an overwhelming sense of fear at Dumbledore's words, there was a price of Harry's head? He's in more danger than he knows? Than even Dumbledore knew, what did it all mean? It's means, my inner voice told me angrily, that he will be alone this Christmas, while I would be trapped at the Burrow.

I stormed into the common room and vented my anger out on a bin that was standing innocently nearby, kicking it across the room with a growl of frustration, since when did my life become so hard?

"I think the bin's really learnt its lesson, it'll think twice before sitting there again" came a sarcastic voice from behind me.

"Too right" I said, flopping uselessly in the couch in front of the fire.

"What's up?" asked Harry as he sat next to me, holding a piece of parchment in his hand.

"Nothing," I said anger mixing with worry until I couldn't stand it any longer, "You know what's happening this Christmas don't you?"

"If your talking about the fact that I practically have the whole of Gryffindor Tower to myself, then yeah, I already know" he said, smiling grimly.

"Oh, what can I do Harry? Dumbledore said you can't come, but I don't want to spend Christmas alone!" I said sadly.

"If you count spending Christmas with twelve other people lonely" said Harry grinning.

"You know what I mean, I don't want you to spend Christmas alone, I want you to be with us" I said unhappily.

"Well, if I know Dumbledore he won't budge, and maybe it's for the best. I don't think Ron would exactly welcome me with open arms, whatever Fred and George say," said Harry heavily.

I mumbled with agreement until my brain processed what he'd just said. I turned to him slowly with a look of incomprehension about my face.

"Fred and George?"

"They know" said Harry simply, earning an even more wide-eyed look.

"What! How? When?" I cried.

"They sort of guessed at your impromptu party for getting the Christmas concert part, they had 'a friendly chat' about what they would do to my limbs if I was to hurt you in any way" laughed Harry using air quotation marks to great effect.

"Well," I said impressively, marvelling at how for once something seemed to be going ok, "Three brothers down only three to go,"

"Don't remind me" groaned Harry, rolling his eyes at me.

"Well if they all know, they wont mind me doing this them will they?" I asked, sitting on his lap grinning mischievously.

Harry looked around in mock anxiety as I giggled, liking my new sense of freedom. It didn't matter who saw now we didn't have to hide from the twins. I sighed contentedly, almost disbelieving the fact that something was going right, I was just waiting for something bad to happen. After a few minutes of fearful waiting and a long curious but worried look from Harry, told me we were safe.

"Are you going to tell me?" asked Harry raising an eyebrow at me.

"I'm just waiting for something to spoil this, like Ron and Hermione with another argument, or Fred and George with a new invention, or a rain of frogs" I said smirking slightly.

"Your crazy" said Harry shaking his head while laughing at me.

"Damn straight" I said giving him a wide smile.

"Enough of this frolicking" said Harry severely, in a perfect imitation of Professor McGonnagall, "You got practising to do little missy"

"Aw, do I have to…" I whined before I realised what he just said, and I raised a curious eyebrow, "Frolicking?" 

Harry merely shrugged and stood up, causing me to land on the floor in a pile of robes.

I saw a concerned looking face bend down, regarding me through amused green before splitting into a wide grin.

"Yes," he said thoughtfully, "Yes you do" 

Then he was running for all his life as a well aimed tickling spell caught him the stomach, throwing him to floor in a laughing fit and I stood over him, arms crossed tapping my foot.

"Are you going to say sorry?" I asked him.

"I w-will if y-you take this o-of me!" he gasped, bent over double with laughter causing tears to form in his eyes.

"Oh, so you've got time to ask me that long sentence, but not breath to say a simple sorry?" I asked simply, relishing every moment of his crazy laughs.

"That's a-about ri-rig-right" said Harry, still managing the sarcasm, it was really quite impressive.

"Your crazy!" I said happily, as he tried to stand up, ending draped over me, crying with yet more laughter.

"Da-damn str-aight!" he managed.

I rolled my eyes and released him from my spell, realising I wasn't going to get any apology from him tonight. After a few more choked laughs he straightened up rubbing his stomach and glaring at me with false anger.

"I'll get you for that Weasley" he said narrowing his eyes dangerously and brandishing his wand.

"You wouldn't do anything to me would you Harry?" I asked him with the trademark puppy-dog eyes.

I saw Harry's features soften and I smiled inwardly, but the smile quickly evaporated when an evil smile appeared on his face.

"Your forgetting _Weasley_, that doesn't work on me" he said in a sing-song voice while I backed away steadily.

"Don't you dare" I whispered threateningly, but to no avail.

"_Lacrimosa" _he said, and instantly as if someone had pushed some secret button, tears began to flood down my face.

I couldn't sop them and I cried and howled with some secret grief as Harry merely grinned and looked at me completely unabashed.

"Are you going to say sorry?" he asked in another perfect imitation of my voice this time.

However, I couldn't speak through the mysterious wails of misery so I satisfied myself with a firm shake of the head and a quite ineffective glare. I barely had time to wonder about the curse and think of a way to get rid of it when all of a sudden the button was turned off. The tears stopped flooding and I wiped my face with the back of my hand whilst Harry chuckled at me.

"Your not supposed to do that" I muttered, trying to clean up my face a bit more.

"Do what?" he asked innocently.

"Curse me. Everyone knows that if I curse someone, they can't curse back" I said impatiently, trying to explain the rules of life to him.

"Why?" he asked simply.

I turned to him with a goldfish type look, gawking and trying very ineffectively to say something in defence.

"Why? Because I'm a girl maybe? Or because I'm the baby sister? Or maybe because everyone knows what happens when you curse me!" I spluttered, as if he was asking me why the sun came up every day.

"What happens?" he asked interestedly, not at all concerned for his welfare as he turned his back to me to walk back into the common room.

"They get cursed back that's what!" I said, shouting a curse at the same time.

Maybe it was his Quidditch reflexes, or maybe it was the fact I'd told him what I was going to do, but my curse went flying off into the distance, whilst Harry had moved within the blink of an eye, too fast to see.

"I wouldn't be to sure about that" he said grinning as I heard a shriek as my curse hit some innocent bystander in the common room.

"Your so irritating!" I said in frustration, sure I'd never be able to work out Harry if I lived to be 100.

"And that's why you love me" he said smirking as we sat down in the couches again.

I mumbled in agreement, thinking about how fast he'd dodged that curse, and wondering what poor person was now walking around the common room with green hair.

"That was really quite impressive you know" I added simply.

"I know" said Harry happily.

*

AN/ sniggers and that's all I have to say to that.

A bit of lighthearted fun for those who were sick of the sudden appearance of angst in my stories J and remember, READ.THIS.STORY. tar

http://www.fanfiction.net/read.php?storyid=1149583


	9. Come What May

AN/ The FINAL CHAPTER! It's been a long and winding road in the words of the Beatles, and I like to thank all my reviewers! EVERYONE that's reviewed has a special mention in the last chapter!

So here it is THE CHRISTMAS PLAY and Ginny's solo. Will she screw it up or will she be a sparkling diamond?

CONTINUE TO READ AND FIND OUT…

*

I was sick with nerves. Not the usual, butterflies in the stomach type nerves either, these were veritable Hercules of the butterfly world, munching away at my insides, apparently with the taste for flesh. I groaned and skipped across the wooden floorboards nervously, wringing my hands and singing my songs under my breath. 

All around me was a thousand sounds that were all paled into insignificance when you heard the thump of my heart. In the background was the sound of a group of girls, practising their chorus lines, another group of people rehearsing a scene from the short play they were doing. There was they sound of a hundred instruments being tuned at the same time, a crash of something expensive sounding breaking against the worn floorboards.

And here I was, stuck in the middle of it all, pale faced and nervously trying to straighten my best school robes. Checking my hair and biting my nails. In just ten minutes time the Christmas concert would begin, and then there was an eternal wait for the finale, my song.

I pulled back the corner of the red curtain, guarding the Great Hall from the stage, which was where the staff usually ate their meals, and look out into the sea of faces. I gazed around, seeing lines upon lines of students, all laughing and joking with each other, completely oblivious to my personal meltdown. With a shaking hand I pulled curtain further back further searching for some familiar faces. 

A sudden cloud of green smoke helped me locate Fred and George, who were trying a bit of crowd surfing and failing miserably and had ended up hexing some Slytherin's in the row behind them. I smiled slightly and looked on, before seeing Ron and Hermione sitting in the next row back. I frowned slightly as I saw Ron's expression, verging on boredom as he sat, arms crossed. Hermione was looking slightly uptight, elbows resting on knees, and fingernails being chewed. At least she was nervous for me I thought dryly, typical Hermione.

I spared a glare for Ron, still feeling unbelievably angry with him, before I cast my eye across the crowd once more, trying to find where Harry would be sitting. He'd said a final farewell at the Portrait when the class had met early over three hours ago. He wasn't near Fred and George, or unsurprisingly not by Ron and Hermione. I located his roommates, no such luck, and then I began to feel worried. 

What if he wasn't just late, what if something had happened to him? It would be a perfect time anyway, when all the school was preoccupied with the concert. So I searched more desperately, becoming more and more convinced something had happened.

Suddenly, the candles floating above the student body began to flicker before they died down, and the excited chatter of the Hall died down into a low buzz of whispered voices. Even the whispers began to die down as the Hall was plunged into darkness, before the flames of thousands of tiny, multicoloured candles illuminated the stage.

The first group was about to begin the song when there was a crash of the doors being thrown back and I craned my neck to see who it was. I nearly gave a whoop of relief when I saw Harry running in, looking slightly dishevelled and very, _very _angry. Again the whispers began, as they often did when he was around and I watched him searching for an empty spot.

Some people have said the gods play with the fates of men, and sometimes I'm inclined to believe them when I saw Harry reaching one of the only empty seats left, next to Ron. Even from where I was sitting I could see the furious glares and the tension in the air around them, before more candles illuminated the stage and everyone faces were suddenly lost in the glare.

The music struck up and the trio of girls began to sing and I let go of the curtain, wondering silently what had caused Harry to be so late, but also jumping for joy. People watching me sing caused half my nerves, and with the glare of the lights out there, that wouldn't be a problem. No matter how many rehearsals you do, it's never the same as on the night I thought happily.

I was joined at the curtain by a selection of members, mostly from the higher years all trying to watch what was going on. I was sandwiched between a sixth year Ravenclaw girl and a fifth year Hufflepuff boy both of that were looking decidedly pale as they watched the small play taking place out front.

"You in the main choir?" asked the girl, eyes fixed on the glare of light where the audience was.

I nodded mutely but she seemed to catch my drift because she looked down and smiled kindly.

"We're on next, we better go get ready"

I blanched a legs started to tremble as I followed her across the backstage, where everyone was waiting in position, ready for the curtain to be lifted. I got into place, silently cursing Madam Chantuer for placing me at the front, and my parents for making me so small. The minutes were counted down and finally it was only seconds before there was a great swish and the curtain parted, revealing five years of Magical Arts students.

With the glare of light and the darkness of the Great Hall I couldn't see a thing from the end of the stage, I could still feel the eyes on me. But as the quiet hum of the music built found my fears disappearing with the music, as it always did.

I was part of the harmony and basically all I had to do was hum in the background. It was the job of me and four others to quietly built the harmony before the main singers took over and I found myself forgetting my whole situation as I concentrated on not loosing my breath or my key.

I was dimly aware of the song being sung by the main singers, and the hoots and wolf whistles of some people in the crowd, Fred and George most likely. The song soon finished to tumultuous applause and the candles extinguished for a second, to reveal a sea of faces in front of me before the curtains swished back down.

Chatter filled the soundproofed backstage as the orchestra kicked up out front. I breathed a heavy sigh of relief and enjoyed a few moments of quiet collection of thoughts before I was pulled aside by one of the more lucky students who had managed to land herself a backstage job.

"Come on Ginny, make-up and costume change before your big finale!" she said enthusiastically, pulling me through the maze of corridors to the room we'd set aside.

I tried to feebly protest, but before I knew what was happening I was sat in a chair with numerous spells being cast over my face and hair. Apparently, as Carmen the make-up 'artist' told me, make-up had to be applied heavily and completely over the top on stage, I missed the reason she gave something about the lights. Secretly I think she just wanted made me look like an over painted doll.

With a flick of her wand, my black robe was replaced by one of pure white, the reason for this I also failed to see, something about contrasting colours yet again, I tried not to pay attention.

"There we go, finished!" she said happily, stepping back to expose me to the mirror.

I gaped in disbelief, as did the person in the mirror, who evidently was me. My hair was piled in a bun on top of my head, with ringlets falling out haphazardly, in a messy but quite nice looking. I had to do a double take at the face though. Heavy black eyelashes and eye shadow made my face look unnaturally pale, and my lips were blood red. I know she said over the top, but this was ridiculous.

I was about to vehemently protest when Carmen looked and me and nodded in approval.

"I know it looks bad now, but trust me, with the lights on you it'll look completely different"

"I don't think so! Take this off! I look like a vampire!" I yelled, raising my hands to scrub off the awful make-up before strong hands restrained me.

"Madam Chantuer said you had to look like this for the song, she said it fitted the mood the singer should be in" said Carmen knowledgeably.

"But it's a love song!" I protested, trying to prise my grip free.

"Madam Chantuer orders, sorry" said Carmen, not looking very sorry at all.

"She seems to be making a lot of them these days" I muttered, grabbing my book of lyrics as Carmen waltzed out.

I don't know why I was rehearsing my lines, I knew them like the back of my hand. I frowned down at the page, I had practised this song so many times the meaning had been taken out of it, the special feeling I got when I sung it had gone. I scowled slightly, feeling a bad mood creep up over me, and would have remained if it suddenly hadn't occurred me that my solo was only 5 minutes, and this wasn't a practise anymore.

I growled in frustration and nerves and turned to the mirror, my gothic face peering out at me. Casting a surreptitious look around the room, making sure it was empty, I began to scrub my lips with the back of my hands. After a few minutes and nothing come off, I resigned myself to the fact she had put some kind of charm on it to stop it fading, damn her. If anything, my lips looking redder from the rubbing.

Angered I threw my book of parchments across the room, which unfortunately lost its binding halfway across the room and the parchments began to rain down from the ceiling, serving only to make me more frustrated. It's the nerves I told myself as I sunk into my seat wearily, watching the sheets litter the floor. I closed my eyes and took some steadying breaths, trying not to let my Weasley temper get the better of me, when a parchment floated into my lap.

I picked it up and smiled dreamily as I read the lyrics, it was a sweet, deeply meaningful song I had picked up a few weeks ago, and apparently forgotten about. I folded it and placed it inside my new robes before taking a drink of water to wet my dry throat.

"Ginny, you're on in two minutes" said a voice from behind the door, and I jumped up nervously and hurried to my place on the stage.

In the wings I could see the faces of the audience, hazy in the glare of lights. The teachers were sitting on a special table of their own to one side looking happy – if not slightly bored, and most of the crowd looked spellbound, saves for some bored looking Slytherin's.

The act of a magical world play finished, and I took my position, feeling more nervous than I ever had in my life. More nervous than when I gave Harry my singing get well card, more nervous than when the dwarf had sung the valentine in the corridor, more nervous even than when I had to face Dumbledore to see whether I would be expelled for the Chamber in my second year.

Everything paled into comparison against this. I nervously flattened my white robe, cursed my make-up and step out onto the boards. I had to walk to the centre of the stage, and the short space seemed to take forever, my footsteps echoing heavily around the room as my eyes watered in the blaze of light. I stood in the centre, unaware my legs were shaking like jelly, that my hands were shaking, and my ringlets bouncing wildly.

I forced myself to calm down, and then came the shock. The lights of the candles began to fade one by one, and the audience emerged from the gloom, like an iceberg from the mist. Soon there was only the light of four or five candles hovering about a metre from me, and I felt very alone. My breaths echoing throughout the hall loudly.

Then with a lurch of my heart, the instrumental cords began and instead of the usual calm that washed over me, my fears only increased. I didn't want to do this song anymore, it wasn't special to me anymore. It only ever served to remind me how it was my song I listened to when depressed, and suffering from unrequited love. It was a song in the past, not relevent anymore, and when it came to my cue and I just couldn't sing it. The music stopped and began again I heard the sniggers of some people in the audience, they obviously thought I was too nervous to sing and had missed my cue.

I could see Madam Chantuer frowning as she conducted in front of me, nodding emphatically as my cue came again, and again I let it pass. This time as the music started again there was the sound of laughter coming from the Slytherin quarter, and the sound of hisses of disapproval aimed at them from the Gryffindor's. 

I searched the crowd and found Harry, who was looking worried, elbows on knees and biting his nails anxiously, something he never did. I must have stood there for over a minute and I could hear curious whispers fill the air, and people laughing to themselves. The teachers sat up slightly with interest and I swallowed again, making a decision. Harry was looking more nervous than I was, and I kept eye contact with him, trying to will him to understand as I raised my wand above my head.

"_Accio Musicbox"_

My voice echoed around the Great Hall and was quickly swallowed by the sounds of more curious whispers, filling the air like a restless wind. I could see Madam Chantuer looking at me with worry and anger, but I ignored her, preferring to see the look on Harry's surprised face as the music box came flying through the air, slamming into my outstretched hand violently.

I placed the box on the ground and stood up, regarding the audience before taking a deep breath.

"This song is dedicated to someone very special to me…I want you to know you've saved me in more ways than I think you'll ever know…And I just want to say thank you in the only way I know. Harry, this is for you"

My steady, clear voice met a huge resounding silence, and I pulled out the parchment from my robes, dropping into the box and snapping the lid shut.

A sweet melody drifted throughout the Hall, magically amplified and this time I felt my nerves disappear with the silence, before I took a deep breath and began,

__

Never knew I could feel like this,  
Like I've never seen the sky before,  
I want to vanish inside your kiss,  
Every day I Love You more, and more,

I felt the entire hall full of people vanishing, as I listened to the music, concentrating on the words and the song, and a pair of ridiculously green eyes. I was dimly aware somewhere close by the sound of some people laughing, a various catcalls.

__

Listen to my heart, can you hear it sing,  
Telling me to give you everything,  
Seasons may change, winter to spring,  
But I Love You, until the end of time,

I let my eyes wander around the room for a second, and I remember feeling a jolt as I saw other faces there, those of Dumbledore, eyes sparkling through the gloom and a small smile planted on his lips, the sneering, sour face of Snape, a slightly misty eyed McGonnagall. The curious faces of the students were staring at me, slightly opened mouthed as my brain whispered to me vaguely and I managed a small smile.

__

Come what may,  
Come what may,  
I will Love You,  
Until my dying day,

My gaze flitted past Hermione who I noted had tears in her eyes, smiling sadly, past Ron whose scowl had slipped away and was looking as if he'd been stunned. Funny how he's so selective over his expressions and feelings when it suits him I thought mildly as my gaze rested on the person sat next to him.

__

Suddenly the world seems such a perfect place,  
Suddenly it moves with such a perfect grace,  
Suddenly my life doesn't seem such a waste,  
It all revolves around you,

I felt my breath catch my throat slightly as Harry smiled back, I felt at peace. Totally aware of the fact that he felt exactly the same, and that the words I was singing were the truth, pure and simple.

__

And there's no mountain too high  
No river too wide  
Sing out this song,  
I'll be there by your side

Even Fred and George looked stunned, they were watching the unfolding scene with open-mouthed, and for a second I wondered if they had been – you don't know how strange it is for them to be so quiet. I knew I would probably suffer relentless teasing at the hands of them for the rest of my life for this, much like the infamous Valentines Day card.

__

Storm clouds may gather  
And stars may collide  
But I Love You, I Love You,  
Until the end of time

Some of the candles dimmed until only a pale gold glow from a solitary candle encompassed me. All the worrying, all the nerves meant nothing compared to the thrill of peace and satisfaction that filled me, standing there, singing my song out.

__

Oh, come what may, come what may  
I will Love You, until my dying day  
Oh come what may, come what may  
I will Love You, I will Love You

As I sang I began to wonder, it was the truth, I would love him until I died, and then I'd carry on in heaven, for all eternity even. But when did I realise I loved him? Was it when I first heard the story of the boy-who-lived? Was it that day on the train station when I first saw him? Was it when he saved me from Tom? When?

__

Suddenly the world seems such a perfect place

Perhaps it had been forever.

__

Come what may  
Come what may  
I will Love You  
Until my dying day

The long note at the end finished abruptly with the death of the music and I took a deep gasp of air, feeling slightly light headed. Maybe it was the singing or something else, but as the song died in the air it was met by a silence that lasted for what seemed eternity. 

I couldn't see the open-mouthed faces of the people around me because I was too busy staring at Harry, who looked equally as shocked, but soon I lost sight of him as the hall burst into a tumultuous applause with people standing up and cheering. I laughed nervously, suddenly realising that I was standing in front of a thousand people, singing my lungs out.

I could hear the catcalls of wolf-whistles of many people, no doubt being led on by Fred and George, and I looked across the hall to see Ron punching somebody that looked suspiciously like Draco Malfoy in the mouth, before seeing a shock of black hair darting into the crowd.

Behind me the curtain lifted and the rest of the magical arts class stood there, ready to take their bows, giving me slightly incredulous looks. As planned, snow rained down from the ceiling, and the clapping grew in size as we all took our bows, me standing at the front, grinning like an idiot.

The size of my smile however, was nothing compared to that when I saw Harry pushing his way through the crowd, and running onto the stage. I grinned insanely when I saw him run over and pull me up, swinging me around in a circle, both of us laughing as the snow rained down still.

And this time we both didn't hear the catcalls as he pulled me in a long, slow kiss, not even noticing Madame Chantuer trying to make an announcement, unable to do so through the noise of the crowd, who were going insane with laughter, and a little jealously. Harry arms snaked around my waist and I grinned into his lips wanting the moment to last forever. We didn't notice Dumbledore who also made a second speech, or the Slytherin who were hissing loudly, or the Gryffindor's sending a few curses their way to shut them up.

"You are…amazing" said Harry breathlessly.

I smiled coyly, thinking back to how I was nervous about standing on the stage and singing but then doing _that _and was about to answer when Dumbledore moved onto the stage and stood next to me.

"If you've quite finished with Mr Potter, would you like to grace your fans with a bow Miss Weasley?" he asked, trying to look stern through a wide grin and twinkling eyes.

No doubt with a flaming red face I took a bow and grinned at the sea of faces, nerves forgotten when the applause raised the roof.

*

AN/ awwww, a little bit of mush for your fluff lovers out there, I really like this last scene for the film of it in my head (that's how I write, this is all part of one long film)

Thanks to the film Moulin Rouge with sexy Ewan McGreggor / Remus Lupin in, whose song I have shamelessly plagiarised!

WHAT DO YOU GUYS THINK?


	10. Thank YOU

So nine chapters and 32 reviews later, Part six of my story is finally complete. Sorry to all those who thought this was an extra chapter, it's actually and THANK YOU page to all the beautiful people out there….I'm writing this for you!

So I thought the best way to do it, was to individually thank you all, so here goes deep breath in alphabetical order…

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Annabella Walter, Glad you liked my story, and its completely none star wars related morphs and stuff! I don't know what mollassas is, but marmite is like a sticky black goo made of yeast and…well unidentifiable stuff basically. My private theory is that it is the GM experiments gone wrong with some black paint mixed in for effect, and people actually buy and eat this stuff…no accounting for taste! So I give you a wave back from this side of the pond, and hope you continue to enjoy fanfiction! Thanks!

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Bessie, Hello South Africa! Glad / slightly worried that you have marmite over there, please DO NOT try those sandwiches at home, Ginny and Harry are trained professionals and no animals were hurt in the making of that scene…I glad you enjoyed all my stories! And hopefully you'll like the upcoming installments! Thanks for your review!

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Bumblepuppy, I seriously suggest you don't wait, even until your drunk, to try marmite - that stuff would put lining on you're your stomach lining -KEEP WELL AWAY! That's the health warning over and done with. I'm glad you enjoyed my stories, and took the time to go back and read what was happening before! Hope it wasn't too confusing! Thanks for your reviews!

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Chocolate Muse, My first reviewer for this story! Thanks for the countless reviews for all my stories, huge Paffy thanks to you! I strongly suggest you DON'T go on a quest for marmite - even to the drunken mind it is seen as a hazard! I glad you liked my Ginny ass-kicking scenes with the bimbos from the dorms! As you can probably see, Ron did put two and two together, but didn't get five, he got trouble lol! I hope you enjoyed the rest of my stories, and will hang around for more! Thanks!

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Dementorchic, To one of my fave and most prolific reviewers! I always know my days complete when my inbox has a review from you! Such a shame you've never heard of marmite…what am I talking about? LUCKY YOU! I'm sure if you had you'd never have wanted too if that makes sense. I loved your comments on my mad deranged and hammered book characters! Glad you were rofl at my drunken scenes at the beginning, they were so fun to write! Thanks!

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Esperanza, To the girl who loves my Ron - don't know why he's been such a git in this last story, and who enjoys depressed Ginny, and likes my Dumbledore! Thanks for all your reviews on all my stories, not just this one! Hopefully Ron will get better in the en, he's got to have one chance to redeem himself hasn't he? Thanks!

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Johanna Bara Haraldsdottir, A big hello to Iceland, I think you may be my most northerly reviewer! Thanks for all the e-mails, especially the joke about the temperature in Iceland, it was hysterical! Fingers crossed and impatient waiting for the 21st of June, in the mean time - more lunch breaks well spent reading fanfiction ;) 

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Leslie, I'm glad you liked my story so much, and hopefully your roommate isn't too annoyed at you for laughing all the time! Sorry it got a bit depressing after the fun beginning, but I shall include some light-heartiness for you in the future! Maybe I put some sadder in, then your roommate would have only the low sounds of muffled sobs to contend with! Which do you thinks better? Anyway, thanks for the reviews!

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Lil-DA To the reviewer who got all teary eyed at my chapter six, in the wake of the book burning incident as it has become known. Poor Ginny, her life's not cutting her a break at the moment is it? Don't worry it did get better didn't it? And I Promise that it will keep on getting better, Part eight is going to be Christmas at the Burrow, happy smiles and presents! Thanks!

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Lilia, Glad you liked my roomie bashing! You must realise by now, when I promise a plot spoiler like that - I shall produce the goods in style. It's about Ginny showed them whose boss anyway! I'm glad you managed to find and stick with my story when your new to the site, out of all the thousands of stories! Thanks a million. 

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Nia 88, watery smiles Can't believe you thought my argument chapter was one of the best you've ever read! I'm gonna get me a huge ego and big head now, getting all this praise! Also, I take it from your stories that your Spanish maybe? Thanks for taking the time to read a story not even in your own language! Thanks!

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Olivier, I'm glad you liked my turning point of the argument. And don't worry one day Harry and Ginny may get their revenge (no spoilers here) BUT you do get to find out why Hermione acted like she did and whose side she's on. I realise it was a bit uncharacteristic of her, and your right…"Afraid of a book Hermione?". Thanks for your review!

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OmegaNY, Thanks for your review! So to set the record straight marmite is a type of spread for your toast or sandwiches that you can get in Britain, Australia and South Africa. Its made from yeast and hops and stuff like that and it has the same colour, texture and look of tar of roads. Imagine getting a can of bear and boiling it until you had nothing elft but goo, that's marmite. People actually buy it here, and some crazy fools actually enjoy eating it…ITS FOUL! I put it in there, because it shows just how drunk Ginny was - her senses had completely shut down if she could accept marmite!

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Reanne080, I'm all happy now that you took the time to sit down and read through ALL my stories! Thanks for the review! It was greatly appreciated. I like your story Rainy Day Man! Even though I am a firm H/G R/H shipper lol. Thanks!

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Sara Lee, I'm glad you liked my story, and I know what you mean about the plot! I thought it was bad, especially Ron, but some things have to be said and done, that's my opinion. And even though it hurt, I think Ron did the opposite of what he wanted and brought hem closer together…can he get anything right?! Thanks!

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SleepieCareBear, Thanks for all your reviews! I really enjoyed reading them (and I know you're not sadistic! Its nice to be able to relate to characters, I do all them time, perhaps that's why I write them like that…) I'm glad you've never heard of marmite…you've been spared! Count yourself lucky you've never been exposed to it - its like nuclear waste, once touched, the memory will stay with you forever. I hope your eyes have recovered now! It's all that fanfic reading! I'm glad you rate my H/G fluffy angst so highly! Thanks!

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Someone, Thanks for ALL your reviews! I'm glad you liked my stories so much! And I know what you mean about Ron, he is being a it clueless at the moment, completely hurtful as well, especially to his own family! I'm glad your such an impatient reviewer, you always remind me too update! Thanks!

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Void, I can't believe you rate my stories as up there with the best of them! You obviously haven't seen what's about comes over all modest now But I glad you rate me so highly, I feel so loved sobs Thanks for your review's, I'm glad you think there is actually some kind of plot to my work, I keep telling myself there is, one day I might just believe it! I hope you managed to translate my gobbledygook sentences, as a lot of the time I write like I talk - a load of rubbish. Thanks!

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Zaz, I glad you liked my argument scene so much, and I know what you mean, it was a little strong! I always feel a little goosepimply when I watch the scene in my head, it would make such a good part of a film I reckon! Hope you managed to get some sleep and didn't stay up too long thinking about it! I hope you liked how its starting to turn out. Thanks!


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